More British people than ever before are being trapped in modern slavery, according to the latest available Home Office figures.
A quarter of all referrals to the UK’s national modern slavery safeguarding scheme were related to British nationals.
Albanian and Vietnamese nationals were the second and third most referred, respectively.
But despite some police forces seeing a rise in charges for human trafficking, conviction rates remain proportionately low.
Sky News joined Greater Manchester Police on a raid at an abattoir, following intelligence claims that its owners were suspected of exploiting labour.
One alleged victim of modern slavery in the abattoir was living in conditions deemed “unsuitable for human habitation”, police said, just metres from where live animals were being slaughtered.
Pic: Greater Manchester Police
Police spoke to abattoir workers. Pic: Greater Manchester Police
The man, who was brought to the UK on a legitimate skilled worker visa, told police he was then forced to work long hours for little or no pay.
“The area where our survivor was required to sleep was essentially a converted office space… next to the main slaughter hall,” DS Lee Attenborough, of Greater Manchester Police, says.
“It’s a noisy mechanised site, with a pungent smell from the activity that goes on here and is really not suitable for human habitation as far as we’re concerned.”
Sheep at the abattoir searched by Greater Manchester Police as part of an operation to combat modern slavery
Police at the scene of the abattoir raid
On this raid, police did not identify any additional suspected victims of modern slavery.
But authorities warn that these types of environments are typically where they find the most people who need their help.
Following the abattoir raid, a man and a woman, both in their 30s, were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and an offence of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour on Friday evening.
An Albanian national, also in his thirties, was arrested at the same abattoir after he tried to evade police, fleeing from the site and hiding on a nearby roof, DS Attenborough said.
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Police detained people during the abattoir search
A Greater Manchester Police officer during the abattoir search
Darren Wright from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority said: “Abattoirs, farms, takeaways – anywhere there’s money to be made you usually find exploitation.
“It’s all about telling these potential victims what support we can offer and what support we can offer to gain their trust.
“But by the very nature of the job, they are very distrustful.”