In the Dock

IdentificationThe PSNI is the main source of referrals to the NRM. Unlike the rest of the UK, there are no NGOFirst Responders except when it involves children. Whilst referrals can be made by statutoryorganisations such as social services or the Gangmaster’s Licensing Authority (GLA), to date noreferrals have been made by either. The vast majority of NI referrals to the NRM involve sexualexploitation. The PSNI confirmed a dramatic decrease in the number of NI trafficking cases referred tothe NRM in 2012. PSNI data records the following number of NRM referrals: 3981 April 2009 - 31 March 2010 20 3991 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 231 April 2011 - 31 March 2012 331 April 2012 - 31 January 2013 8The drop may be attributed in part to structural changes within the PSNI in 2011 that included adifferent approach to policing of serious organised crime, including trafficking. The responsibility forthe identification of victims and NRM referrals now lies with every police officer rather than withspecialised human trafficking teams. According to the PSNI, the majority of trafficked persons in NIare identified through targeted and proactive investigations or by self-referral rather than chanceencounters by frontline officers. However, with every police officer tasked with the identification ofvictims it would still be expected that the number of referrals would increase rather than decrease.Conversely, this can also suggest that specialism is needed to identify trafficking and thatidentification on the frontline is too complex. This may also be due to a lack of training on traffickingidentification.Though many officers will not encounter a trafficked person during their police career, the ones whodo appear to be ill-equipped to identify them. 400 This drop in referrals is alarming given thatintelligence throughout the UK and current NRM patterns in England and Wales do not suggest thatthere has been a reduction in trafficking. 401 The police continue to assert that demand for sexualservices in NI remains high suggesting that in NI there may be a failure in the detection of traffickedpersons resulting in fewer investigations and therefore the prosecution of traffickers.The number of NRM referrals for alleged labour trafficking is extremely low despite extensive researchcarried out by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in June 2011, indicating that NI has specificmigrant communities vulnerable to labour exploitation. 402 Whilst it was suggested that these cases aremore difficult to detect, it is suspected that trafficked persons are not identified because plannedoperations, in situations that may give rise to labour exploitation, are primarily for the enforcement ofimmigration rules. 403The PSNI provides an online e-learning tool for the trafficking training of all of its officers. It is notmandatory and to date the PSNI do not have statistics on the take up of the e-learning package. It hasbeen suggested that these omissions in training have had an adverse effect on how police respond totrafficked persons. Reports by participants indicate that trafficked persons are frequently not believedby police at first contact and the police have little or no knowledge of what they should do with theNRM process. Concerns have been raised about the lack of information provided to trafficked persons398A senior police officer in the PSNI suggested the figures can change slightly due to late and/or false reports.399According to Amnesty NI the UKBA provided a figure of 25 referrals in 09/10 at the presentation to the APGHT on 13th November2012.400One service provider alleges that some victims have not been believed when they self refer at local police stations and in one casethe police officer asked the service provider how to do the referral. In another case the police used in appropriate language towards avictim who was told "we know you are a failed asylum seeker".401Home Office, supra note 48.402"Forced Labour in Northern Ireland: exploiting vulnerability": The research studied migrants working in the fishing, mushroom andcatering industries, as well as Filipino and Romanian migrants and highlighted the links between vulnerability and a lack of Englishlanguage skills, limited access to social networks and a lack of local knowledge. See: www.jrf.org.uk.403The OCTF publish an Annual report & Threat Assessment which can be found a: www.dojni.gov.uk/index/media-centre/newsarchive/july-2012/doj-organised-crime-annual-report.pdf.121