The idea of the original SUII conference in 2012, which led directly to this book, was to bring together many different state and private actors working in the field of anti-trafficking, to discuss the complexities and the challenges of working in this area across countries. It was recognised that while the aim of intervention is to reduce the abuse and exploitation of people, the different interest groups and state authorities are motivated by their own particular interests, which, at times, are in conflict with each other. Reflecting a human rights, victim-focused approach the conference and this book have predominantly been concerned with justice and support for victims, which in many ways is in contrast to the state responses across United Kingdom and Europe, which have largely been law enforcement and border control.

Human trafficking is increasingly discussed and addressed across many spheres: politics, the media and practice arenas in the field of criminal justice, migration, immigration, legislation and human rights. While these discussions often highlight the complexities of the issues and the challenges of identifying the extent of the problems, providing support to victims, prosecuting perpetrators and preventing further trafficking, there is also a tendency to focus on one aspect of the myriad of issues. This leads to strategies aimed at resolving the specific issue, and often how to address ‘trafficking’ as if it was a homogeneous entity with one solution. In reality, as evidenced at the original conference, and also reflected in the different contributions to the book, the ‘anti-trafficking community’ may be at best fragmented, and perhaps at times deeply divided on which areas to focus on and how to address the issues.

International legislation and guidelines, now being transposed into UK legislation, can also perpetuate the notion that trafficking can be dealt with via specific steps and clear legislative frameworks. The debate surrounding the passage of the various trafficking legislation in the United Kingdom approaches the topic as a single issue of ‘trafficking’, confirming a belief that one piece of legislation will address the complexities, not least by identifying and prosecuting perpetrators. The various submissions to the UK parliaments by interested agencies and individuals highlights the myriad of activities that are perceived as constituting exploitation by trafficking and, perhaps unrealistically, raises the expectations that legislation will go some way to addressing the issues.