Serious Organised Crime Agency
United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre
Liam Vernon
6th June 2013
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What does the UKHTC do?
Victims
A competent Authority for NRM; partnership engagement on protection and safeguarding.
Administers the UK National Referral Mechanism for victims.
Provides analysis on victims (SOCA web-site).
Tactical/Operational Advisors
Provide advice in pre-planned operations or “live” advice in retrospective investigations to aid
the disruption/prosecution of identified offenders and victim centred approach.
Develops and shares best practice; advice available 24/7/365
Intelligence collection & analysis
Acts as the central repository for intelligence relating to trafficking; develops assessments for
partners (SOCA web-site).
Develops intelligence for law enforcement to disrupt/ prosecute offenders.
Partnership working
A co-ordinated multi-agency approach to tackle the problem within the UK and Internationally,
across law enforcement, government, third sector, civil society, private sector and media.
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Current Victim Trends - UK
Nigeria – mostly females for sex exploitation and girls for domestic
servitude
Vietnam – boys for labour exploitation and females for sex
exploitation
China – Adult labour exploitation and adult female sex exploitation
Albania – females for sexual exploitation
Romania –men for labour, children for labour and women for sex
exploitation
Poland - men for labour, children for criminal exploitation
Lithuania – men for labour
Czech Rep - men for labour, women for sex
Slovakia – men for labour, children for criminal exploitation
Hungary - men for labour
UK – girls for sexual exploitation and men for labour
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National Referral Mechanism
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Council of Europe Convention obligation from April 2009
EU directive in April 2013
The UK has adopted a National Referral Mechanism to help identify potential
victims and provide a recovery and reflection period.
UK has two ‘Competent Authorities’, with trained case owners who make
decisions on whether someone is a victim of trafficking.
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UKHTC - for UK / EU Nationals and persons legally in the UK
Home Office - for any person with immigration or asylum case
710 referrals in 2010
946 in 2011, a 35% increase
1186 in 2012, a 25% increase
650 so far in 2013, a 48% year to date increase
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UK response to Human Trafficking
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UK strategy in 2011 *upstream, borders, victims and UK coordination
UK OC strategy in 2011 *HT is a significant organised crime threat to UK
and a multi-agency board exists to coordinate activities to tackle it
New victim care arrangements in England & Wales in 2011
Inter-departmental Ministerial Group established for oversight and
governance; 2012 IDMG report published
Strategic groups and focussed work groups support IDMG
EU Directive in UK legislation from April 2013
UK chair a EU operational action plan group on Human Trafficking
SOCA oversee UK organised crime group mapping
NCA will establish strategic governance group for OC from October
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EMPACT operational action plans (1)
• In November 2010, Justice and Home Affairs Council established
an EU model to coordinate strategic and operational planning
against priority crime threats over a 7 year cycle
• EU have set 8 crime priorities, each currently in a pilot phase with
full action plans to be implemented for 2013-2017
• Referred to as EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform
against Criminal Threats)
• THB is one threat, with UK as the ‘driver’ and Netherlands as ‘codriver’
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EMPACT operational action plans (2)
It’s key features are:
• Intelligence-led and targeted approach to crime control
• Focus on the identification, analysis and ‘management’ of
persisting and developing ‘problems’ or ‘risks’
• Partnership approach across MS, EU agencies, 3rd countries and
public/ private
• Proactive and reactive measures
• Influencing by using measures of a preventative and a repressive
nature
• 4 year Multi-Annual Strategic Plan (MASP) adopted by COSI
• MS and EU agencies convert this into a Operational Action Plan
for each priority
• EU Serious Organised Crime Threat assessment (SOCTA) to be
developed annually by Europol to identify the threats
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Europol SOCTA 2013
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Nine key SOC threats proposed
THB is a recommended priority
OCG’s involved in the trafficking of EU and non-EU victims within the EU
THB for labour exploitation a recognised increased threat
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SOCTA will inform COSI EU Policy Cycle 2013-2017
COSI will develop strategic objectives and MASP
This will inform the 2014 operational action plan
Europol Focal Point Phoenix and analysis of intelligence is key
Joint investigation through Eurojust is key
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THB operational action plan (1)
• Targeting OCG’s in particular at Southern, SW and SE hubs in EU
• 20 MS, Europol, Eurojust, EEAS, CEPOL, Interpol, EU
Commission
• Pilot OAP in 2012, developed OAP for 2013 and agreed by COSI
with 8 strategic goals
1. MS proactively contribute to/ benefit from Europol strategic and
tactical intelligence picture
2. Establish a tasking & coordinating mechanism to prioritise joint
investigations, particularly in the hubs
3. Increase the number of joint investigations and prosecutions
4. Each MS to have a Prevention strategy on THB
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EMPACT THB operational action plan (2)
5. Improve early detection, including ICT; support and protect
victims, especially children; ensure effective NRM
6. Use innovative, proactive approaches of investigation, including
financial and use of ICT
7. Increase cooperation with key non-EU source and transit
countries, those identified by OCTA and other assessments
8. Identify and target OCG’s involved in child trafficking in all its
forms
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EMPACT THB 2012
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279 new cases and 2240 data contributions were received and accepted by FP
Phoenix (to November).
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Out of these, 185 cases and 853 contributions were provided by the MS
under the EMPACT project
- Suspects arrested: 54
- Victims identified: 160
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292 contributions were received under one single case during the Common
Day of Action which took place on 25/10/12 in the framework of the subproject ETUTU
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In total, the number of contributions received and accepted by the work file
during the period reported increased with 100% compared to the figures
(1129 data contributions) of the same period last year
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EMPACT THB 2013
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147 new cases reported to FP Phoenix.
58 attributed to EMPACT.
14 high profile investigations supported by FPP.
706 intelligence reports to FPP.
379 attributed to EMPACT.
Increased MS membership.
Project ETUTU meeting – Nigerian OCG’s
Project ‘Big wall’ proposal – Chinese OCG’s
Improved strategic products to inform EMPACT group
CEPOL training and common curriculum update
Strong links to Eurojust action plan and EU Strategy
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