Campaigners’ fears for slavery survivors who ‘slip through the net’

DERBYSHIRE Police are investigating rising accusations of modern slavery, data has shown, but campaigners say they are more worried about survivors who “slip through the net” to possibly fall back into traffickers’ hands.

Former immigration minister Chris Philip claimed the Modern Slavery Act – introduced in 2015 – had “inadvertently turned into one of the biggest loopholes in our immigration system, allowing illegal immigrants and foreign criminals to remain in the UK”.

But campaigners say recent changes to the law have already made it harder for genuine survivors of modern slavery to access the support they need.

They have now written an open letter to the government calling on ministers to do more to identify and support survivors of modern slavery.

It comes as new figures show that between April and June of this year, Derbyshire Constabulary investigated 33 potential cases of modern slavery during those three months – eight more than the previous quarter and four more than the same period of 2021.

The latest figures include 13 children in the area, many of whom were likely exploited by criminal gangs.

These people were channelled through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK’S identification and support system for possible victims of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour.

Campaigners say the rise in these figures – of people who “slip through the net” – is a greater concern than the rise in potential victims who have entered the NRM system.

A letter, signed by the heads of more than 30 charities, said:

“Whilst Chris Philip MP is correct in stating that modern slavery referrals have risen in the UK, we are more worried by the comparable rise in modern slavery cases which are logged by professionals, but never followed up.

“Such survivors, who slip through the net, are often left to fend for themselves after fleeing abuse. This lack of support greatly increases their chances of reprisals or re-trafficking, and emboldens the abusers this government claims to pursue.

“The current system already struggles to consistently identify and support survivors of human trafficking.

“Rather than making life even harder for survivors of modern slavery, the government must commit to further identification and support. All of us must be clear – survivors of abuse must not be punished for speaking out.”

The Home Office says recent changes to the Nationality and

Borders Act provides “clarity” on victims’ rights, including on what circumstances foreign nationals might be granted permission to remain in the country.

Since the Modern Slavery Act became law in 2015, the number of live police operations has increased from 188 in December 2016 to at least 4,548 in July 2022.

The Home Office says a new strategy for tackling modern slavery will be published in the coming months.

A spokesperson said: “We are committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery, and in the UK we have a world-leading system to support those who are genuine victims.”