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Spearheading the UK’s fight against modern slavery
Kevin Hyland OBE is the UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner’s role was created as one of the key provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
About the Commissioner

What is modern slavery?

Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. Victims of modern slavery are unable to leave their situation of exploitation, controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion and deception. Slavery violates human rights, denying people of their right to life, freedom and security.

45,800,000
people live in slavery today
(Global Slavery Index 2016)
13,000
potential victims of slavery are in the UK
(Home Office 2014)
21,000,000
people are victims of forced labour
(ILO 2012)

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's five priorities:

Victim care logo
Victim Identification & Care
To drive improved identification of victims of modern slavery and enhanced levels of immediate and sustained support for victims and survivors across the UK.
Law enforcement logo
Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice
To promote an improved law enforcement and criminal justice response across the UK, to support development and adoption of effective training and to increase awareness across relevant statutory agencies.
Private sector logo
Private Sector Engagement
To engage with the private sector to promote policies to ensure that supply chains are free from slavery and to encourage effectual transparency reporting.
Partnerships logo
Partnerships
To identify, promote and facilitate best practice in partnership working and to encourage improved data sharing and high quality research into key issues.
International collaboration logo
International Collaboration
To encourage effective and targeted international collaboration to combat modern slavery.

Statutory Agencies

The Commissioner has a UK-wide remit to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of modern slavery offences. In order to achieve his aims the Commissioner works directly with statutory agencies, who have a duty to co-operate with the Commissioner as set out in the Modern Slavery Act.
NHS
Police
Local Authorities
Immigration Agencies

Recent News & Insights

News | 06 April 2017
Letter to MPs on two year anniversary of Modern Slavery Act
On Monday 3rd April 2017 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, wrote to MPs following the two year anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act, which received Royal Assent in March 2015. The Commissioner celebrates where progress has been...
News | 05 April 2017
Letter to CEOs one year on from Section 54 of Modern Slavery Act
A year on since the transparency in supply chains legislation of the Modern Slavery Act came into force, and, with more and more countries looking into passing similar supply chains legislation, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has written a...
News | 27 March 2017
The Modern Slavery Act Two Years On – The Fight Continues…
Yesterday marked two years since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 received Royal Assent and last week saw the 210th anniversary of the Slave Trade Act 1807. As the UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, appointed by the Prime Minister in her former...
News | 26 March 2017
UK police criticised for failure to help enslaved cannabis farmers
Marking the two year anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks with Amelia Gentleman about Vietnamese teenagers being trafficked to the UK to work in illegal cannabis farms. Read the full article: UK...
News | 24 March 2017
UK anti-slavery tsar says human trafficking from Nigeria surging without global cooperation
On the two year anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner comments on human trafficking by Nigerian crime gangs as one of the biggest challenges faced in the last two years, with an eight-fold increase in the...
News | 15 March 2017
Anti-Slavery Commissioner on modern slavery at UN Security Council
UN Security Council Debate on trafficking in persons in conflict situations: forced labour, slavery and other similar practices Remarks of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE As the United Kingdom’s first appointed Independent...
© 2017 Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
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