There are, nevertheless, some indicators that should lead you to suspect that a child may have been trafficked. There will be different indicators at different points along a child’s journey. For example, at the port of entry to the UK, they may have no passport, or false documentation. Once resident, they may have health concerns such as being malnourished, or having signs of physical abuse. They may be absent from school for long periods of time, or not be enrolled in a school. They may possess money or items such as phones they cannot account for. They may go missing from local authority care.
Sometimes the concerns are very difficult to evidence, for example a child who is treated differently from other children in the household, or who appears to be unduly controlled or influenced by the adults caring for them. It is important to remember that children are trafficked within the UK as well as from overseas.
