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Serious Organised Crime Agency

United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre

Liam Vernon6th June 2013

What does the UKHTC do?VictimsA 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 AdvisorsProvide 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 & analysisActs 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 workingA 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 exploitationChina – Adult labour exploitation and adult female sex exploitationAlbania – females for sexual exploitationRomania –men for labour, children for labour and women for sex exploitationPoland - men for labour, children for criminal exploitationLithuania – men for labour Czech Rep - men for labour, women for sexSlovakia – men for labour, children for criminal exploitation Hungary - men for labourUK – girls for sexual exploitation and men for labour

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National Referral Mechanism

• 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.

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

• 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 ‘co-driver’

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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

• 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

• 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 prosecutions4. 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

- 279 new cases and 2240 data contributions were received and accepted by FP were received and accepted by FP Phoenix (to November).Phoenix (to November).

- Out of these, 185 cases and 853 contributions were provided by the MS under the EMPACT project

• - Suspects arrested: 54- Victims identified: 160

- 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 sub-project ETUTU

- 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

1. 147 new cases reported to FP Phoenix.2. 58 attributed to EMPACT.3. 14 high profile investigations supported by FPP.4. 706 intelligence reports to FPP.5. 379 attributed to EMPACT.6. Increased MS membership.7. Project ETUTU meeting – Nigerian OCG’s8. Project ‘Big wall’ proposal – Chinese OCG’s9. Improved strategic products to inform EMPACT group10. CEPOL training and common curriculum update11. Strong links to Eurojust action plan and EU Strategy

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