Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of UK Border Force to identify and punish people who regularly exploit and traffick illegal workers into the UK.

The Government is committed to protecting the vulnerable. At the primary checkpoint, Border Force Officers have the unique advantage of being the first point of contact with UK authorities for many vulnerable children and adults as well as the criminals who traffic them.

All Border Force staff receive training in how to spot indicators of modern slavery for both victims and traffickers. In addition to this specialist safeguarding teams with enhanced skills provide advice to colleagues on this area of work.

Intelligence-led operations to disrupt traffickers and protect victims is the key to Border Force’s response to the threat of Modern Slavery. Through the Modern Slavery Threat Group, Border Force work alongside UKVI, IE and other law enforcement agencies to identify and disrupt modern slavery offenders.”

If a suspected trafficker is encountered by Border Force staff this is referred to colleagues in Immigration Enforcement, NCA or the police for further investigation and prosecution.

The responsibility for investigation and prosecution does not sit with Border Force.