Identifying child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland

This is a report and a research summary “Identifying modern slavery and human trafficking in the context of child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland”, based on research conducted by Ulster University and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The project was co-funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) at the University of Oxford, which in turn is funded and supported by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC and Northern Ireland Department of Justice have actively supported the production of research summary and the full report. However, the views expressed in this summary and the full report are those of the authors and persons interviewed or surveyed during the course of the research, and not necessarily of the PEC, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Northern Ireland Department of Justice or Ulster University.

Background

Since 2014, only 53 people have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in Northern Ireland as potential child victims of modern slavery that occurred in the UK, with only nine referrals in 2024. There has also never been a UK or Irish male under 18 referred to the NRM for criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland, in comparison with 11,489 children of UK nationality identified for criminal exploitation across England, Scotland and Wales – nearly one third of all child referrals across the rest of the UK since 2014.

The extraordinarily low number of potential victims of child criminal exploitation (CCE) and wider forms of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) in Northern Ireland is particularly notable given the legacy of the past and continued presence of paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. There has been increasing acknowledgement of the need to understand CCE and the harms that contribute to it CCE has become a policy priority throughout the UK and Northern Ireland, most notably with the launch of a cross-departmental multi-agency two-year action plan to address the issue. “Criminal exploitation” has been recognised within the framework of modern slavery and human trafficking more widely in the UK for over a decade and Home Office guidance on county lines was updated in 2023 acknowledging that “criminal exploitation is a form of modern slavery”.

Paramilitaries and organised crime groups are known to exploit children and young people in Northern Ireland, a problem that has received attention from state and non-state actors. Yet despite increasing attention, framings of such conduct as modern slavery or human trafficking have remained largely absent in Northern Ireland. Against this backdrop, the scoping study aimed to enhance the understanding of why, given the increased focus on addressing harms experienced by children in the context of criminal exploitation, the formal identification of modern slavery and human trafficking within the NRM is largely absent.

Key findings

1. Whilst there has never been a UK or Irish male child referred to the NRM as potential victim of criminal exploitation since records began in 2014, paramilitaries and organised crime groups are known to exploit children and young people in Northern Ireland, and 79% of survey respondents including practitioners and first responders – indicated that they have encountered child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland in connection with paramilitary activity.
2. The unique context of Northern Ireland poses discrete challenges to the identification of modern slavery and human trafficking in the context of child criminal exploitation. These challenges relate to: (a) the often normalised and hyperlocal nature of harm, (b) safety concerns about making NRM referrals for child criminal exploitation, and (c) Northern Ireland’s unique devolution arrangements.
3. This research identifies potential barriers to the identification of child criminal exploitation as modern slavery in Northern Ireland within the legal and policy framework. These identified by this research include (a) the absence of legal duty to identify and associated accountability mechanism and (b) a focus on movement within definitions of human trafficking.
4. Despite awareness of both child criminal exploitation and modern slavery and human trafficking amongst practitioners, child criminal exploitation is not always recognised as a form of modern slavery and human trafficking, and when it is, formal identification via the National Referral Mechanism does not always take place. The research findings have shown that it may be linked to: (a) knowledge and awareness of the National Referral Mechanism, (b) lack of confidence in making an National Referral Mechanism referral (c) views on the perceived benefits and drawbacks of making referrals to the National Referral Mechanism.
5. Capacity building and a strategic approach is required to address many of the barriers to identifying modern slavery and human trafficking in the context of child criminal exploitation.

Key recommendations

For the UK Government

• Explore in consultation with key stakeholders, what regional modifications to the NRM may be required for it to function effectively in the context of each devolved region.
• The UK Home Office should consider resourcing an in-depth training and awareness raising programme, combining cross-cutting issues of modern slavery and human trafficking; and child criminal exploitation for first responders, and those who are likely to encounter child criminal exploitation across Northern Ireland. This training should be designed and delivered by local stakeholders and include separate modules on (a) National Referral Mechanisms processes, safeguards and benefits, and (b) understanding and identifying child criminal exploitation.

For the Northern Ireland Government and Assembly

• Consider (a) amending Section 2 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 to remove the requirement for travel and instead align with the Scottish legislation (i.e. ‘takes a relevant action’) (b) progressing plans (MSHT Strategy 1.1) to introduce the Duty to Notify (DtN) and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders (STROs) in Northern Ireland, (c) introducing an accountability mechanism to ensure referral of children, accompanied by an associated training for organisations to enhance understanding on how their duty is discharged.
• The Department of Justice should consider, in partnership with the Departments of Health and Education, developing a modern slavery and human trafficking and NRM Toolkit, with expert and lived experience input, to be incorporated into the planned Child Criminal Exploitation Toolkit laid out in the Child Criminal Exploitation Action Plan. Additional research should also be considered to incorporate lived experience, contributing to development of the toolkit.
• To develop specialist expertise, awareness and capacity for response, the Northern Ireland Departments of Justice, Health and Education should consider investing in Child Criminal Exploitation/Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking champions within regions, bodies and sectors, who are equipped to act as subject focal points for their respective organisation.