New research on identifying child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland

A first of its kind research study has found that children in Northern Ireland exploited in criminal activities are not being formally identified as victims of modern slavery and human trafficking – despite indications that they may meet the criteria.

The report (co-funded by Oxford's Modern Slavery & Human Rights Policy & Evidence Centre) found that, until the end of 2024, there weren’t any UK or Irish male children referred to the National Referral Mechanism for criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland, whereas in the rest of the UK there have been over 11,000 of such referrals since 2014.

Yet 98% research respondents said they encountered cases of criminal exploitation in the context of drugs and 79% noted the context of paramilitary activity. In the post conflict setting in Northern Ireland, paramilitaries and organised criminal groups still exert significant control over some communities, which means that the harm for children often goes unnoticed.

The barriers to identification include safety concerns for children and those making referrals; the fact that the legal duty to identify potential victims of modern slavery is not yet in force in Northern Ireland; and a focus on travel within the statutory definition of human trafficking, which doesn’t reflect the very local nature of exploitation.

The report calls for urgent policy changes both for the UK and Northern Ireland governments that recognise the post-conflict context of Northern Ireland, alongside increased investment in frontline capacity and tailored referral processes.

The study, led jointly by Ulster University and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the United Kingdom, 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.

The full report can be found on PEC's website.