Modern slavery is a crime that involves the exploitation of people for profit. It can take many forms, including forced labour, human trafficking, and forced marriage. The UK has several laws and policies in place to combat modern slavery, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The Modern Slavery Act is a landmark piece of legislation that criminalises modern slavery and human trafficking. It also requires certain organisations to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement each year. This statement must set out the organisation’s policies and procedures for preventing and identifying modern slavery in its supply chains.
The Modern Slavery Act has been praised for its comprehensive approach to tackling modern slavery. However, it has also been criticised for being too complex and for not going far enough to protect victims.
In addition to the Modern Slavery Act, the UK also has several other laws and policies that are relevant to modern slavery. These include the Immigration Act 2016, and the Modern Slavery Strategy 2017-2022.
The Immigration Act 2016 makes it a criminal offense to facilitate the travel of someone for the purpose of exploitation. The Modern Slavery Strategy sets out the UK government’s priorities for tackling modern slavery.
The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires certain commercial organisations to publish an annual statement setting out the steps they take to prevent modern slavery in their business and their supply chains. This is known as a modern slavery statement.
The modern slavery statement must be published within six months of the end of the organisation’s financial year. It must be accessible to the public on the organisation’s website or by other means.
The modern slavery statement should be signed by a senior member of the organisation’s management team.
By taking these steps, organisations can help to ensure that they are not complicit in modern slavery. In addition to the legal requirements, there are several reasons why organisations, including those that do not meet the threshold requirements in terms of turnover, should develop a modern slavery policy. These include:
By developing a modern slavery policy, organisations can demonstrate their commitment to ethical business practices and help to create a more just and equitable world.
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