Big Brands, Big Meetings, Big Summits, but Modern Slavery Still Problem for UK

Fashion brand executives from Adidas, Puma, zLabels, Woolworths and Whistles which all manufacture goods in Mauritius, will meet anti-slavery lobby groups including the International Labour Organization, the Ethical Trading Initiative and Anti Slavery International.

Asos is the first online fashion business to sign up to the Global Framework agreement which aims to improve working conditions for 50 million people, making a public commitment to eradicate slavery from its supply chains.

READ MORE: British Businesses Must Do More to Stamp Out Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

The ecommerce brand has partnered with the British High Commission to host the event, Asos sourcing director said: "The hope is that by sharing experience and expertise, we can encourage efforts to prevent exploitation during recruitment, and engage governments to effectively enforce legislation to protect migrant workers."

The British government says tackling modern slavery is high on its agenda: "The UK government is committed to the eradication of all forms of forced labor and is supportive of initiatives to ensure that migrant workers working in factories and plants are not in situations of debt bondage," British High Commissioner Keith Allan said in a statement.

However modern slavery remains a huge problem in Britain, despite Theresa May introducing a law in 2015 intended to stop human traffickers. Anti-slavery charities say there is still not enough support for victims.

READ MORE: Allowance Cut for UK Slavery Victims Amid Calls for New Law to Protect Survivors

There are currently around 300 police operations across the UK targeting modern slavery, according to the National Crime Agency.

Three people were recently arrested on modern slavery offences after police discovered 200 migrant workers from Eastern Europe on a flower-picking farm in Cornwall.

READ MORE: 200 Eastern Europeans Found Enslaved in Latest UK Modern Slavery Case

Meanwhile the UKs Attorney General told a Modern Slavery Summit held at Wilton Park in England: "This summit will be an important step in strengthening the international dialogue and eliminating the crimes of forced labor, modern slavery and human trafficking."

The summit is hosted by Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales and is being held for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to discuss ways to disrupt and prosecute more modern slavery crimes.

​READ MORE: 'Dire' Specialist Support for UK Child Victims of Slavery, Charity Tells Sputnik