Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

News | 15 August 2017

Secrets of slavery at your local car wash

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner spoke to the Daily Mirror about modern slavery in hand car washes across the UK, and how members of the public can join the fight and spot the signs. The Daily Mirror visited 10 hand car washes and found all...

News | 11 August 2017

New research piece: Tackling modern slavery through supply chains

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) is partnering with the University of Nottingham on a research project to tackle modern slavery in business supply chains. The Global Slavery Index reports there to be 45.8 million slaves worldwide....

News | 10 August 2017

Human trafficking and slavery affecting ‘every large town and city in UK’

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks to May Bulman of the Independent on the scale of modern slavery in the UK and the need for sufficient gathering of intelligence in order to combat the crime. You can read the full article here.

News | 09 August 2017

Failure to tackle child traffickers ‘like letting rapist loose in London’

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner urges law enforcement agencies to utilise data and intelligence in order to boost the fight against modern slavery. He also calls on technology firms and businesses to play their part in order to protect children...

News | 01 August 2017

UK supermarket helps restore 'dignity of work' to trafficking victims

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks to Lin Taylor at Thomson Reuters about the importance of long-term support for victims and the admirable work of the Co-op and City Hearts. You can read the full article here.

News | 30 July 2017

Nigerian agents to snare slavers at UK airports

On the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, speaks to the Sunday Times about the important work needed to prevent modern slavery. As Nigerian officials are posted in UK airports to curb the...

News | 23 July 2017

More than 100 child refugees missing in UK after being smuggled from Calais

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks to The Independent on unaccompanied minors who have travelled to the UK illegally and have gone missing, potentially exploited by traffickers and slave masters. You can read the full article here.

News | 06 July 2017

Sharp rise in British children being sexually exploited by human traffickers

With a 100% increase in the number of potential British child victims of modern slavery referred for assistance last year, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner spoke to The London Economic on the need to improve support and treat modern slavery as...

News | 03 July 2017

Commissioner visits Lithuania to boost anti-slavery efforts across borders

In June 2017, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner travelled to Vilnius to explore how the UK can better work with Lithuania in the fight against modern slavery. The Commissioner travelled as part of a delegation alongside His Eminence Cardinal...

News | 29 June 2017

Religious leaders call to make Australia 'slavery-proof'

Last month the Commissioner joined faith leaders in Australia to explore Australia's adoption of similar legislation to that of the UK's Modern Slavery Act 2015. Religious leaders collectively called for action. Read the full article: Religious...

News | 22 June 2017

Slavery is a weak link in corporate supply chains

The Financial Times explores how companies are potentially failing to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. While some businesses have disclosed the problems they have identified, others have more to do to comply with the Modern Slavery...

News | 22 June 2017

Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks at the Lowy Institute

In May 2017 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, travelled to Australia to meet with ministers, businesses, charities and faith groups to discuss the implementation, success and challenges of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act. Click...

News | 05 June 2017

Federal parliament moves to eradicate modern slavery

In June 2017 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner visited Australia to provide evidence to an inquiry into new legislation on modern slavery. Politicians, faith groups, businesses and charities gathered to discuss how a new act will help eradicate...

News | 01 June 2017

Thousands enslaved in Australia – Commissioner advises on new legislation

News | 31 May 2017

Thousands enslaved in Australia and companies linked to supply chains, inquiry told

The Australian parliament is evaluating a modern slavery act, based on the UK’s 2015 legislation. Speaking in Sydney, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner said Britain’s Modern Slavery Act had proven a powerful law enforcement tool that had...

News | 13 May 2017

Gangmasters snare almost 4,000 new UK victims and put them to work as slaves

In an interview with the Mirror, The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner explains that the new figures for modern slavery victims identified reveal how the UK is failing victims and letting more people slip through the net. The Commissioner calls for...

News | 28 April 2017

Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner speaks at the Sedona Forum

Senior officials, CEOs and third sector leaders were among the featured speakers at the fifth annual Sedona Forum, held 21-23 April 2017 by the McCain Institute for International Leadership. Discussions focused on today’s challenges for world...

News | 18 April 2017

A look back: Open Debate on Modern Slavery at the UN Security Council

Background: The UN’s response to modern slavery is becoming increasingly coordinated. The integration of combatting modern slavery into the Sustainable Development Goals – and Goal 8.7 in particular – reflects the commitment of Member States to...

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 | 04 April 2017

Modern slavery referrals double in three years

New figures reveal sharp increase in the number of referrals for support for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, with 3,805 recorded in 2016. Read the full article here: Modern slavery referrals double in three years.

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...

News | 08 March 2017

Launch of research into UK modern slavery partnerships

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, has launched a new research project mapping modern slavery partnerships across the UK. To combat modern slavery in the UK, a number of ‘partnerships’ have...

News | 06 March 2017

Written evidence for the Joint Committee on Human Rights

The Joint Committee on Human Rights launched an inquiry on human rights and business. The inquiry looks at what steps the Government takes to monitor compliance with UN Guiding Principles, and how far the Government can enforce these. It also looks at...

News | 22 February 2017

Statement: Protecting unaccompanied child refugees against modern slavery and other forms of exploitation

The protection of vulnerable children at risk of exploitation in forms of modern slavery is a core priority for the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE. In a written statement, the Commissioner shares his views on: Safe refuge for...

News | 17 February 2017

Faith groups join together to fight slavery

Last week I joined the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness Bartholomew of Constantinople, for a forum on modern slavery – ‘Sins Before Our Eyes’. Over two days, in the company of scholars, practitioners...

News | 16 February 2017

Help create UK's first mapping of modern slavery research

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, in collaboration with The University of Nottingham, would like to map the current evidence base on contemporary slavery (including human trafficking), especially as it has an impact on the United Kingdom. The...

News | 12 February 2017

"I would tell any girls back home, don't come to Europe"

Thousands of unaccompanied child migrants are arriving in Europe each year - tricked by false promises of a better life. Instead, many find themselves trafficked into prostitution and slavery. Christina Lamb reports, with comments from the Independent...

News | 02 February 2017

Border Force urged to boost response to slavery

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner recently completed an inspection of UK Border Force’s identification and treatment of potential victims of modern slavery. Findings are detailed in a...

News | 02 February 2017

Statement: Call for adjustment of eligibility criteria under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016

In December 2016 I wrote to the Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Goodwill MP, to share my concerns with regards to the guidance on implementation of Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. The eligibility criteria for transfers of children from...

News | 31 January 2017

2017: A year of mobilising to achieve freedom for all

It is estimated that there are as many as 13,000 people trapped in modern slavery in the United Kingdom, relentlessly suffering at the hands of ruthless slave masters. Many find this difficult to comprehend. Where is this happening? Is it really taking...

News | 26 January 2017

Research finds links between homelessness and modern slavery

A leading homelessness charity, The Passage, has found that rough sleepers on the streets of the UK are at risk of becoming victims of modern slavery. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has previously identified that slave masters prey on...

News | 20 January 2017

Letter to Sarah Newton MP on improved National Referral Mechanism

On 10th January 2017 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, wrote to the Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism, Sarah Newton MP, regarding the UK's National Referral Mechanism. In the letter...

News | 19 January 2017

Car wash worker kept as modern slave electrocuted as he showered

The death of a car-wash worker was condemned yesterday as a blatant example of modern slavery on Britain’s high streets. Kevin Hyland, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, said the case was “one of the worst examples of modern slavery to be seen on...

News | 19 January 2017

Letter to Groceries Code Adjudicator on supply chains

On 19th January 2017 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, wrote to the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) in response to a call for evidence for extending the GCA's remit in the UK groceries supply chain. You can read the full...

News | 18 January 2017

Leaders at Davos must strategise to disrupt slavery in supply chains

Millions around the world are trapped in modern slavery in supply chains of big businesses. As world leaders attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, urges business leaders to take ownership...

News | 12 January 2017

Traffickers bring child sex slaves from Africa to Scotland

Child sex slaves from Africa are among victims being trafficked into Scotland by criminal gangs. Kevin Hyland, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, said: “The number of victims entering the National Referral Mechanism has continued to...

News | 22 December 2016

Call for Central Repository Written Submissions

I am calling for written submissions on how a central repository for modern slavery statements, required under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act, can work to help monitor the impact of the Modern Slavery Act. Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act, with...

News | 18 December 2016

International Migrants Day – The Exploitation within Migration

People around the world are increasingly on the move and in record numbers. The refugee and migrant crisis has brought this to the forefront of political agendas, charity campaigns and public consciousness. But I see this crisis fast becoming a modern...

News | 10 December 2016

Human Rights Day – Standing Up for the Enslaved

Around the world, millions of people are wrongfully robbed of basic human rights. The crime of modern slavery does not only go against the more obvious right to life and liberty, but in fact seeps its way across the entire spectrum of rights.

News | 18 November 2016

Protecting trafficked children requires more than rescue

‘Missing’ and ‘child’ are two words that should not go together. And yet, this is a harsh reality for child victims of modern slavery in the UK, who often go missing within 24 hours of arriving in care.

News | 02 November 2016

The Santa Marta Group - Collaboration at its Core

Last week global leaders in law enforcement and senior Bishops in the Catholic Church came together for the Santa Marta Group, an annual conference focusing on combating modern slavery.

News | 17 October 2016

Mass spotlight on modern slavery

On the evening of Wednesday 12th October, the UK’s first ever Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner hosted an event at Westminster Abbey to mark the UK’s commitment to combat modern slavery.

News | 12 October 2016

A first for Anti-Slavery: Commissioner's Annual Report

The UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, has today launched his first annual report, which was laid before Parliament, Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly this morning.

News | 21 September 2016

Letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd on modern slavery in Calais

On 19th September 2016 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, wrote to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, regarding prevention and identification of modern slavery in Calais.

News | 19 September 2016

Source, transit and destination – the journey of Nigerian slavery

Using a silo approach to counter the crime of modern slavery is foolish. Slavery spans a journey – whether at source, in transit, or at destination, exploitation is extensive.

News | 16 September 2016

Eradicating forced labour – consumer goods industry takes significant step forward

Modern slavery is an evil that persists despite twelve international conventions and over three hundred international treaties banning it.

News | 07 September 2016

Change industry culture to combat modern slavery

Kevin Hyland OBE, the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, talks about the impact of the Modern Slavery Act (2015)

News | 19 August 2016

World Humanitarian Day: honouring those on frontline of slavery fight

In light of this year’s World Humanitarian Day, it seems fitting to draw attention to what Prime Minister Theresa May refers to as ‘the great human rights issue of our time’: modern slavery.

News | 12 August 2016

Britain must address root causes of sex trafficking from Nigeria to Europe

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, writes in the Guardian on the urgent need for action in Nigeria, due to the crisis levels of Nigerian women and girls trafficked into Europe to be sexually exploited.

News | 03 August 2016

One year as Commissioner and this is only the beginning

There are more slaves today than ever before. And on the first anniversary of my appointment as Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, I am more determined than ever to combat this evil crime.

News | 01 August 2016

Slavery thriving as police accused of failing to act

Slavemasters are acting with impunity because many police officers as well as the public do not take their crimes seriously enough, Britain’s anti-slavery tsar has said.

News | 27 July 2016

8 priorities in the fight against modern slavery

Earlier this month we welcomed a new Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, as the former Home Secretary, Theresa May, is appointed as the UK’s Prime Minister.

News | 21 July 2016

Cross-border partnership – key in combating slavery

Human traffickers strategically utilise their global networks to maximise profit. If we are to minimise the profitability of modern slavery crime globally and nationally then government and law enforcement must do the same.

News | 11 July 2016

No matter how unwittingly, no business should support slavery

As government suppliers gather to discuss slavery free supply chains, The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, writes in The Huffington Post on the pressing need for ongoing work in this area.

News | 04 July 2016

Letter to Frank Field on support for European victims of slavery

On 27th April 2016, Kevin Hyland OBE, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, wrote to Frank Field MP regarding support and protection of European victims of modern slavery.

News | 29 June 2016

Global supply chain governance cannot have a global one size fits all solution

As part of Open Democracy’s Roundtable on supply chain transparency, Kevin Hyland OBE, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, responds to questions regarding the model of global supply chains and their global governance.

News | 22 June 2016

Collaboration must sit at heart of tackling slavery in Ireland

Today I joined business leaders, law enforcement and government at a watershed conference in Armagh to discuss how to work across the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to tackle modern slavery and trafficking for labour exploitation.

News | 09 June 2016

Put an end to this throwaway culture

Following the summit of judges and magistrates in the Vatican against human trafficking and organised crime, at which he was a speaker, Kevin Hyland reflects in the Tablet on the role of the judiciary in tackling the horrors of modern.

News | 03 June 2016

45.8 million people enslaved worldwide, says Global Slavery Index

This week the Global Slavery Index 2016, published by the Walk Free Foundation, estimates that there are 45.8 million people enslaved across the world.

News | 02 June 2016

There’s only one group benefitting from the refugee crisis – human traffickers

As global leaders converge in Istanbul for the World Humanitarian Summit, Kevin Hyland, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner writing in The Independent says it is imperative that a resolution is discussed to tackle the issue of slavery and human trafficking.

News | 24 May 2016

A garden to expose modern day slavery

As the Modern Slavery Garden opens at Chelsea Flower Show, Kevin Hyland OBE, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner highlights the need for action in the Huffington Post.

News | 19 May 2016

Letter to Shailesh Vara on legal aid

On 19th May 2016, Kevin Hyland OBE, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner wrote to Shailesh Vara, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions and at the Ministry of Justice.

News | 29 April 2016

Letter to Karen Bradley on child trafficking advocates

On 29th April 2016, Kevin Hyland OBE, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner wrote to Karen Bradley, Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime.