Justice Act 2009, the Sexual Offenses Act 2003, and the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004, which prescribe penalties of a maximum of 10, 14, and 14 years’ imprisonment, respectively. The acts’ penalties for sex trafficking are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes.The 2009 act explicitly criminalizes slavery without a precondition that the victim had been smuggled or moved into the country, whereas the other acts require movement as a precondition for trafficking. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 was enacted in March 2015 integrating a variety of criminal offenses used to prosecute traffickers into one act and it prescribed penalties ranging from fines to life imprisonment for trafficking offenses, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes. The act allows for confiscation of traffickers’ assets, establishes courts’ power to make reparation orders to victims, and both requires and establishes some victim protection measures. NGOs expressed concerns the act does not sufficiently address victim protection, especially for domestic workers. In Scotland, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act 2010, and provisions of the UK’s Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 prohibit trafficking. In December 2014 Scottish authorities introduced an anti-trafficking bill to create a single offence of human trafficking. Northern Ireland enacted the HumanTrafficking and Exploitation Act in January 2015; the act unifies existing anti- trafficking statutes and provides support for victims of human trafficking on a statutory basis. Some traffickers were prosecuted for other offenses, such as inciting child prostitution.
The government did not report the total number of trafficking investigations or prosecutions initiated in 2014.The government reported that between 2013 and 2014, authorities prosecuted 226 individuals for human trafficking or slavery and convicted 155 traffickers, while 71 individuals were acquitted of trafficking or slavery.This represents an increase from the previous reporting period when the government prosecuted 139 individuals for human trafficking, convicting 99 and acquitting 40. Authorities did not report on the sentences or how many were for forced labor, sex trafficking, or forced criminal activity. The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials complicit in human trafficking.An independent inquiry detailed systematic child sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking, in the city of Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 and identified wide scale negligence and willful ignorance on the part of police and social services.The London Metropolitan Police anti-trafficking and anti-kidnapping unit worked closely with an NGO to implement a victim-centered approach to sex trafficking investigations and trained other police forces. Scotland maintained an anti-trafficking police team. The governments of the UK, Scotland, and Northern Ireland provided varying levels of anti-trafficking training to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and justice officials. Scottish police maintained a mandatory online anti-trafficking training program for new recruits, as did Northern Ireland’s police service. UK authorities undertook robust law enforcement collaboration with foreign governments in anti-trafficking cases.

PROTECTION
The government identified an increased number of potential victims but specialized victim services remained limited.Authorities identified 2,340 potential trafficking victims from 96 countries in 2014 compared with 1,746 potential victims in 2013. Of these, 61 percent were female and 39 percent were male, while 71 percent were adults and 29 percent were children. Authorities

identified two transgender potential victims of sex trafficking. The top five countries of origin for potential adult trafficking victims were Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania and Slovakia; for child victims, it was Albania,Vietnam, the UK, Slovakia, and Nigeria. Of potential adult victims, 14 percent were referred for domestic servitude; 35 percent for other forms of labor trafficking; 40 percent for sex trafficking; and 11 percent for unknown exploitation. Of children, 11 percent were referred for domestic servitude; 31 percent for other forms of labor trafficking; 24 percent for sex trafficking; and 35 percent for unknown exploitation. NGOs and officials reported particular concerns of weak identification of child victims, citing low awareness by police and local authorities of child trafficking indicators.
The national referral mechanism (NRM) has two steps for identifying trafficking victims: a preliminary finding of “reasonable grounds” that an individual is likely a trafficking victim and a final decision of “conclusive grounds” that triggers victim protection. There is no formal appeal process for decisions. Only UKVisas and Immigration in the Home Office and the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) can make these decisions. Victims receiving a reasonable grounds decision enter a 45-day program of rest and recovery with access to services such as accommodation, health care, and counseling. Data on positive conclusive ground decisions was unavailable for 2014. Experts reported there was an inherent conflict among Home Office officials in deciding whether someone was an illegal immigrant or a trafficking victim. Officials and NGOs noted low awareness of the NRM in parts of the country, observing that many trafficking victims were not referred through the NRM, and some were treated as criminals. Some victims did not see the benefits of referral or were fearful of the consequences of being brought to the attention of authorities due to immigration status or fear of law enforcement. NGOs reported victims from non-EU countries had a lower chance of receiving a positive “conclusive grounds” decision, as reflected in 2013 NRM decisions data, particularly for citizens from China, Vietnam, and Nigeria. Authorities published a review of the NRM in 2014 and made recommendations to overhaul the system, including expanding the jurisdiction of government agencies to identify victims from solely the UK Visas and Immigration and the UKHTC; setting up a system of regional multi-disciplinary panels to make decisions; improving training and oversight for front-line responders; and removing the reasonable grounds decision to streamline decision-making.
The government maintained a contract with an NGO to coordinate the provision of care in England and Wales for victims during the 45-day recovery and reflection period. The contractor worked with a network of 11 service providers with access to 27 safe houses to provide accommodation, counseling, and other services. Authorities in Northern Ireland awarded a contract to an NGO to provide services, including access to accommodation, counseling, and health care, to victims during the 45-day recovery and reflection period. Scottish authorities provided funding to two NGOs assisting victims identified through the NRM; one provided accommodation for women subjected to sex trafficking and one provided accommodation for men and women exploited in forced labor.The government did not provide funding for services after the 45 days of care. Experts reported the length of time remained inadequate for service delivery and it was unclear what happened to victims after this time. Authorities acknowledged NRM support was not intended to provide rehabilitation, and noted many victims were still “profoundly vulnerable” after 45 days. NGOs reported cases of victims returning to prostitution