Human trafficking is the movement of a person from one place to another, within a country or across borders, with a view to exploiting them.
It consists of three basic parts:
An Action
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a person.
A Means
The threat or use of force or other form of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, a position of vulnerability, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to control a person for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation
Which can include slavery, forced or compulsory labour or services, servitude, forced criminality, sexual exploitation or the removal of organs.
Once initial control is secured, victims are usually moved to a place where there is a market for their services. This is often a location where they lack the language skills or other basic knowledge which would allow them to seek help. There may be one person trafficking the victims or a number of different individuals. Victims may also be passed or sold to different traffickers.
Since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, human trafficking carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.