Anyone can become a target for modern slavery, but certain individuals may be at a higher risk due to financial, social, or health issues, as well as age or immigration status.
Threats and punishments can often be violent, although not always. They may involve threatening to expose the victim's immigration status to the authorities in order to have them deported from the country.
Modern slavery includes human trafficking, which occurs when victims are transported between countries or within a country to be exploited.
Forced labor occurs when victims are threatened or physically coerced into working in someone's home or business.
Criminals may also deceive their victims by promising legitimate employment elsewhere or in another country, only to subject them to slavery upon arrival.
Even if a victim appears to agree to the work, prosecution can still take place if the working conditions are unacceptable. No one can consent to being exploited.
Victims often work long hours for minimal or no pay and are frequently subjected to terrible conditions.
However, it still constitutes modern slavery even if the victim is kept in decent conditions but is not free to leave or live their life as they wish.
They can also be forced to work in people's homes, performing tasks such as cooking and cleaning as domestic slaves.
Criminal exploitation occurs when victims are coerced into committing crimes such as shoplifting, pickpocketing, stealing fuel from cars, or engaging in benefit fraud.
Some victims in the drug trade are forced to work as cannabis growers, while others are used to distribute or sell drugs.
County lines is one form of criminal exploitation, where vulnerable people, often children, are used to transport drugs from cities to sell them in nearby towns and rural areas.
Victims are forced into sex work or coerced to perform sexual acts against their will and without their consent. This includes escort work, pornography, or the production of indecent images of children.
While most victims of sexual exploitation are women and children, men can also be affected.
Victims are moved from one location to another to have their body parts removed, which are then sold for surgical transplants. These body parts can include tissues and organs, such as kidneys.
Modern slavery can occur anywhere, in any situation. Each case is different and may not fit the stereotype of groups of people being forced to work in fields or on fishing boats.
The signs of forced labor, criminal exploitation, or sexual exploitation can vary greatly.
Victims may appear helpless and afraid, but they can also seem to accept their situation, be completely unaware of it, or even defend the individuals who are exploiting them.
Report it and seek support. If you suspect modern slavery is taking place, inform someone as soon as you believe it is safe to do so.
This could be regarding a victim, a suspect, or a particular business or location. Your concerns will always be taken seriously, and protection and support are available.