The Home Office has recruited 200 staff to help clear the backlog of 23300 cases of modern slavery.
Jess Phillips said that the government plans to close cases in two years, to eliminate uncertainty for those who claim they are victims of modern slavery.
Phillips stated that “for too long modern slavery survivors have not received the attention or support they need.”
This is going to be different. “The actions I announced today are the first step in putting survivors before the rest, and eradicating cases of modern slavery to give victims clarity and peace-of-mind they need to move forward with their lives.”
Phillips, who spoke at a South-East London meeting this week with survivors of Modern Slavery, accused the previous government for “not caring enough” about modern slavery. She also said that the backlog in cases was due to the fact that the former government had not taken action.
A report released earlier this week by a House of Lords committee, Modern Slavery Act: Becoming World Leading again, revealed that immigration laws passed by the previous government had intentionally restricted the assistance offered to victims of slavery.
According to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the committee discovered that “weak regulation and relaxed visa rules” in the care sector had led to a 400% increase in reported victims since the sector was included on the (now-defunct) Shortage Occupation List.
It was alleged that the Nationality and Borders Act and the Illegal Migration Act passed by the former government benefited traffickers.
The committee suggested that ministers recognize the difference between people who come to the UK willingly as migrants, and those who are forced to do so as modern-day slavery. The peers concluded that “legislative changes which reduce protection of modern slavery victims must be reversed or not implemented, and safeguarding should be prioritised.”
Modern slavery is most prevalent in sectors such as agriculture, construction and sexwork. The National Referral Mechanism’s role is to verify the status of people who have been trafficked and to then provide support.
Baroness O’Grady is the chair of House of Lords Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee. She said, “The prosecution rate of modern slavery is only 1,8%.” Although investigations and prosecutions are complex, there are ways to improve their success.
We urge our new government prioritise the protection of victims of modern slavery and prosecution of villains.
“Ministers must introduce legislation that focuses on prevention. This includes a wider use of Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders and Slavery and Trafficking Prevent Orders. They should also strengthen workers’ rights to reduce the opportunities for extreme exploitation.
She said: “The promised Fair Pay Agreement for the care sector is a fantastic opportunity to tackle low wages, insecure employment and little worker voice, all of which are conditions that foster modern slavery.”
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