Commonly searched queries about modern slavery answered admin@abvso l i c i to r s . co .uk ABV Solicitors I t i s a sad but unavoidable fact that in the UK, and indeed, most o f the f i r s t wor ld , s lavery i s s t i l l occurr ing . In the UK, there were 12 ,727 inc idents o f modern s lavery o f fences , which i s the h ighest number s ince 2009. So , even with the rest r ict ions and laws to f ight i t , i t seems to e i ther be increas ing or inc idents o f report ing i t a re increas ing . Either way , i f you are someone who owns a bus iness or company that operates in the UK but imports goods f rom overseas , you may be wary about inadvertent ly support ing modern s lavery , as i t can land you in a lot o f t rouble i f i t can be tracked to your bus iness . In th is ar t ic le , commonly searched quest ions about modern s lavery are answered by a cr iminal so l ic i tor , wi th an emphas is on those who own businesses . What is the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and how does it protect against slavery and human trafficking in the UK? According to a cr iminal so l ic i tor , the Modern Slavery Act 2015 i s a law in the UK that was passed to protect against s lavery and human t ra f f ick ing and to prov ide support for v ict ims of these cr imes . This Act consol idated and st rengthened prev ious legis lat ion and created new of fences and powers for law enforcement to use in the f ight against modern s lavery . The act requi res certa in organizat ions to publ i sh annual s tatements out l in ing the steps they have taken to ensure that there i s no s lavery or human traf f ick ing in the i r bus iness or supply chains . Th is i s intended to increase t ransparency and accountabi l i ty and to encourage bus inesses to take act ion to address modern s lavery in the i r operat ions . I f you have not been fo l lowing the latter part o f th is law, then you can contact a cr iminal so l ic i tor for adv ice on what to do . What are the penalties for violating the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in the UK? The penalt ies for v io lat ing the Modern S lavery Act 2015 in the UK can vary depending on the speci f ic of fence . Most o f fences are punishable by up to l i fe impr isonment , so i f you have been accused of any al legat ions of modern s lavery , you need to contact a cr iminal so l ic i tor . Business owners can fami l iar i se themselves with the d i f ferent forms that modern s lavery can take and the industr ies and countr ies where i t i s most l ike ly to occur . You can evaluate your own bus iness or supply chain for any potent ia l r i sks o f modern s lavery and put processes in p lace to ident i fy and address any i ssues that may ar i se . For more guidance on avoid ing th is , contact a cr iminal so l ic i tor . How can businesses and individuals ensure that they are not participating in modern slavery? For bus iness owners in the UK, the s igns can include overseas partners or d is t r ibutors not want ing to have v i s i ts to the i r workshops , be ing avoidant when i t comes to prov id ing proof o f employment and workplace standards , and can even appear as a h igh turnover o f s ta f f in the p lace of product ion . I f you not ice these s igns , contact a cr iminal so l ic i tor . What are the warning signs of modern slavery? https :www.abvsol ic i tors .co .uk/serv ices/cr iminal - so l ic i tor / https :www.col lege .pol ice .uk/app/major- invest igat ion- and-publ ic-protect ion/modern-s lavery/modern-s lavery- def in i t ions https :www.cps .gov .uk/ legal -guidance/modern-s lavery- human-traf f ick ing-and-smuggl ing Sources: