Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today.
May I first of all extend to you, on behalf of our government, a very warm welcome to Jersey. I am delighted to welcome so many delegates.
The Salvation Army, as part of its wider mission, has been working to protect children and vulnerable people since its inception. And now that work includes providing specialist support for the victims of modern slavery.
Modern slavery
The issue is not an easy one. For some it is a surprise that we even need to discuss it in the 21st century, when we thought slavery had been abolished nearly 200 years ago. And it is not something we want to think of in connection with our delightful island home.
This conference is not intended to worry islanders. It is primarily about raising awareness. Modern slavery is complex, ever changing and requires all relevant agencies to play their part. Even here, in our small, safe corner of the world, we need to be aware of the signs of trafficking.
Labour trafficking
For example, in 2013 the UK National Crime Agency found that Poland is the most common country of origin for potential victims of labour trafficking. As we know, many Polish migrant workers come here to Jersey, primarily to work in agriculture, retail and hospitality.
Knowing the risks is the first step towards prevention. Our police have identified a number of Jersey hospitality premises they believe have been, and may be used in the future, for prostitution. They fear some of the women, and men, receiving payment for sexual services may be vulnerable and are possibly being controlled by others.
Operation Phoenix
There are also obvious risks for people when left alone with clients. As a result Operation Phoenix was launched. Through education and awareness raising, we hope we can identify those who are vulnerable and engage with them. We want to keep people safe from exploitation and trafficking, but this is not always easy as many do not see themselves as victims.
We have also been raising awareness of child sexual exploitation. 76 cases of suspected child sexual exploitation were reported to professionals last year in Jersey. This shows there are serious concerns about the exploitation of young people in Jersey.
Exploitation
The Safeguarding Partnership Board has joined forces with Island agencies and UK colleagues.
Exploitation can happen anywhere and we all have a duty to protect our young people from this kind of exploitation. It would be naive to think that our community is untouched by modern slavery.
Just like other jurisdictions, our challenge is to understand its extent in our community. If we, in Jersey, can make a small contribution to stopping human trafficking before is starts, we can help to prevent the deep harm done to the men and women who get caught up in this life-destroying industry.
Over the coming few days you will be hearing from expert speakers who are working at the forefront of protecting vulnerable people. It is horrifying that the people who are doing their best to escape poverty, oppression and civil unrest, are the ones who become vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous traffickers.
Traffickers who take their victims to a foreign country where they cannot speak the language; who take away their travel and identity documents; who warn victims that if they try to escape, they or their families will be harmed.
Awareness
We should all be able to spot the signs of someone who has been trafficked. The more of us who have this awareness, the harder it will be for this crime to go unnoticed.
The Salvation Army’s initiatives to support the victims of modern slavery, to give them space to reflect, recover and rebuild their lives, are to be applauded. I hope this weekend’s conference will contribute towards this valuable work.
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