UK’s modern slavery. How the British system is failing the victims

Victims of modern slavery are reduced to destitution and their abusers go free because of a failed UK system, a recently published report by the Work and Pensions Committee notes. It is estimated there are between 10,000 and 13,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK.

An “inexcusable” scenario of victims reduced to destitution while their abusers go free because they are not adequately supported to testify against them is the result of failures in the UK’s system for dealing with modern slavery, the report shows. The current mechanism for identifying and supporting victims out of slavery means that they, once identified, have no automatic formal immigration status or rights and are often faced with a total lack of understanding or even recognition of their situation.

Also, according to the Work and Pensions Committee, instances where a person is re-trafficked are not even recorded, explaining UK’s appalling conviction record.

The Committee heard testimony of one victim, “Client M”, who “escaped from his traffickers but it took four years before someone recognised that he was a potential victim of modern slavery … the adviser in the Jobcentre – who knew his story – did not pick up on that … he lost four years before someone finally offered him the help and pointed him where he should go further”.

One other victim recounted for the Committee how, when trying to obtain a National Insurance Number, her account of her situation was greeted by her the adviser saying, clearly audibly through the room: “Oh my God, you were trafficked. Oh my God, I’ve only seen that on the television.”

“While we applaud the leading role the UK has taken in tackling this “barbaric crime”, as the Prime Minister has called it, when you consider what is at stake, there is a shocking lack of awareness and co-ordination in the front line services dealing with modern slavery. What these people go through is unimaginable, and yet it is happening, here, now, and our response seems almost lackadaisical: a paper exercise earning you recognition as having been enslaved, which then entitles you to almost nothing as far as we can see. We don’t even record instances where the same person is thrown back into this hell, even though that is surely the clearest sign of the failures in our response.

No society worth its salt can allow this to continue, or fail to support those who fall victim. The incoming Government must conduct an urgent review of our national response and put in place some basic minimum safeguards, status, that will allow a person to begin to rebuild a life, testify against their abuser if they feel able, and above all, be protected from the unimaginable but real possibility of falling victim again,” Frank Field MP, Chair of the Committee, said.

The Committee says the lack of awareness, training and understanding, and lack of proper support for victims is having a negative impact on the number of successful prosecutions of slave masters. As such, thousands of victims have not come forward, while others who have chosen to give evidence against their enslavers have ended up destitute as a result of insufficient support, and unable to testify against their abusers.

According to the Work and Pensions Committee, all confirmed victims of modern slavery should be given at least one year’s leave to remain with a personal plan for their recovery, which should act as a social passport to support for at least the 12 month period of leave to remain.