Statistics from the Ministry of Justice reveal a 90% fall in the number of not-for-profit legal aid providers within a year of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 coming into effect.

James Ewins’ independent review of the Overseas Domestic Worker visa released today calls for an end to the current system which ties workers to their employers. 

The Modern Slavery Act does nothing to address the tying of migrant domestic workers to their employer because of immigration rules; a system which has repeatedly been evidenced to facilitate their abuse. 

The area of law which involves protection of the person can routinely subject lawyers and legal representatives to secondary trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue.

In September 2013, government proposed that anyone with uncertain or no immigration status within the previous year, or anyone not living here in the last 12 months, would be ineligible for legal aid.

Following our campaign with the charity Kalayaan and Justice for Domestic Workers, this year the Home Office changed its rules so that visas for overseas domestic workers will not be granted unless the employer agrees to pay the National Minimum Wage.

Following a nationwide campaign during the passage of the Modern Slavery Act, the government has agreed to a review of the Overseas Domestic Worker visa and promised to follow its recommendations.

The government has introduced a restriction on the right to recover the National Minimum Wage. This new restriction, while not aimed at victims of trafficking, is likely to impact overwhelmingly upon them.

This guidance case involves trafficking for forced labour of MS, a Pakistani male child. The forced labour took place in restaurants, takeaways and food production factories. 

A test challenge in six immigration cases had been joined together as they raised common issues about exceptional case funding.

Following a groundbreaking judgment upholding Ms Tirkey's claim of caste discrimination the Tribunal have awarded Ms Tirkey £266,536 in compensation.

Barring a victim of trafficking from obtaining compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, due to non-compliance with the police amounts to a breach of the UK's obligations to victims of trafficking.