Survivors of modern slavery are being left destitute and at risk of exploitation by a crumbling legal aid system that is failing to provide them with the support they need, reveals a new report out today.

A staggering 90% of support workers helping survivors reported that they had struggled to find legal advisors for their clients in the past year, with almost half reporting delays of six months or longer.

‘It has destroyed me’: A legal advice system on the brink is a new report from ATLEU.

Access to legal advice is crucial for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery but the legal aid funding system is failing them. ATLEU’s survey to frontline support and advocacy organisations found a stark and alarming gulf in the availability of legally aided advice for survivors, leading to destitution, trauma, and exposure to further exploitation. In a joint response to a government consultation on immigration legal aid funding, 10 anti-trafficking organisations* call for action to address the causes of this legal advice crisis - the legal aid funding system.

Thirteen civil society organisations and legal aid providers working to end trafficking and modern slavery have called for the removal of the ‘unspent conviction rule’ from the Criminal Injuries Scheme.

We applaud Sir Mo Farah for his courage in sharing his experience of being a survivor of child trafficking and shining a much-needed light on this vital issue. Tragically this experience highlights the harm caused to tens of thousands of men, women and children in the UK who are exploited and subjected to human trafficking or slavery and the nature of child abuse and these serious crimes.

A new joint briefing by ATLEU, ECPAT UK, FLEX, Helen Bamber Foundation, and Hope for Justice outlines our concerns about the draft Slavery and Human Trafficking (Definition of Victim) Regulations 2022 which:

• Are highly complex and do not align with international law

• Do not distinguish between adult and child victims

• Leave victims at risk of further exploitation and re-trafficking.

Survivors of trafficking and modern slavery should not have to be means tested to qualify for legal aid, states a coalition of trafficking and legal experts.

New Immigration Regulations, that force UK migrants to prove their immigration status digitally for the right to work and rent, will be very damaging for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.

We are delighted to launch our new policy unit that seeks to centre the experiences of survivors in our influencing work.

We do not agree that a Bill of Rights should replace the Human Rights Act and do not support any of the proposals set out in the government’s consultation document.

If Clause 62 of the Nationality and Borders Bill is allowed to pass in its current form it will have devastating consequences for those who have been subjected to and survived modern slavery. It will also further undermine the UK’s efforts to identify and prosecute the criminals who perpetrate this appalling crime. For a government that genuinely wishes to tackle this crime “it does not make any sense at all” (Lord Dubs).

Your MP will soon be asked to vote on the Nationality and Borders Bill and we need you to write to them asking them to support our amendments. Many of the issues faced by survivors of trafficking are little understood. To encourage the government to change its mind we need you to engage with your MP so they know this is a priority.

ATLEU launched their new bespoke training programme, ATLAW this week. The programme is designed specifically for immigration and public law advisers who work under a legal aid contract and are committed to assisting survivors of trafficking and slavery.

After years of litigation and research, ATLEU and partners have made the case for the family worker exemption to be removed. This has led to the important recommendation from the Low Pay Commission today that it is not fit for purpose.

At the age of just 14, Rebecca was groomed, physically assaulted and raped, then forced to sell drugs by organised crime groups. Although she was identified as a potential victim of trafficking, Rebecca was forced to report to the Home Office throughout lockdown. She contracted Covid in December, quickly followed by her father and sister. Her sister was heavily pregnant and had to be put into an induced coma while her baby was delivered prematurely. She was unconscious for almost three weeks as her baby began life in intensive care. Rebecca is still required to report each week.

A new report released today by the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, reveals how reporting in person directly threatens survivors’ physical safety and sense of security.

Ileara was born in Nigeria. She was approached by someone who promised they could find her work in the UK as a hairdresser. On arriving, she was taken to a flat and told she would have to work as a prostitute to repay the debt she owed them for bringing her here. The traffickers made threats to kill members of her family back home. She was forced into sex work in the UK for nearly a year before escaping.

Before coming to ATLEU, the Home Office decided she was not a victim of trafficking.

Modern slavery has no place in the New Plan for Immigration and risks creating policy which overlooks the needs of survivors who are first and foremost, victims of crime. Based on the limited information the government has provided, we fear that these proposals, if implemented, will put survivors at a higher risk of detention, exploitation and re-trafficking.

We are calling for all potential survivors of slavery or trafficking who are in the National Referral Mechanism to have access to work. This access must not be restricted and should be granted automatically once a person is identified as a potential victim of trafficking.

ATLEU have now launched their new online referral system to improve survivors’ access to free legal advice.

Legal advice is an essential part of the support needed by survivors of trafficking and slavery to escape, recover and rebuild their lives. Survivors need advice and assistance to navigate and engage with the complex systems through which they are identified, access accommodation and support, regularise their immigration status and recover compensation.