By Kieran Guilbert
LONDON, Oct 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Britain must ensure human traffickers do not exploit uncertainty surrounding Brexit, from its future migration policy to cooperation with European law enforcement agencies, the nation’s anti-slavery commissioner said on Friday.
Sara Thornton said Britain would need to arrange new partnerships across Europe to bring traffickers to justice and “stress test” migration systems to protect workers from labour abuse as the country’s departure from the European Union looms.
While the exact nature and date of Brexit is still unclear, activists and police say Europe-wide anti-trafficking efforts could be hampered and that migrant workers risk being exploited under government plans to minimise labour shortages.
“Protecting victims and prosecuting traffickers is not enough,” Thornton said in a statement. “To stop modern slavery from happening in the first place, we need to do much more to tackle the systems and structures that allow it to thrive.”
“Those who traffick and trade in human beings will take any opportunity for exploitation,” said the former police chief, who took up the post in May after the inaugural commissioner quit mid-2018. “We must not let them threaten our joint security.”
