Modern slavery victims cases in UK to be speeded up with Home Office hiring 200 more officers

LONDON Oct 23: The UK government has pledged to eradicate the backlog of decisions on modern slavery cases within 2 years, giving thousands of women, men and children who may have suffered traumatic sexual, physical and economic abuse the clarity needed to assist with their recovery.

Currently, many victims face long delays in having their status as a victim of modern slavery confirmed through the national referral mechanism, via a conclusive grounds decision. This can lead to prolonged uncertainty and mental health suffering.

Through hiring 200 additional Home Office staff to process cases, thousands of vulnerable people will receive faster decisions on their cases so that they can move forward with their lives, whilst making the process more efficient.

These new employees are already being recruited and will be in their posts in early 2025.

The Safeguarding Minister pledged the new reforms to a room of charity and law enforcement delegates on Thursday (17 October) to mark national Anti-Slavery Week, before traveling to meet survivors of modern slavery at Salvation Army premises.

During the event, Jess Phillips set out that tackling modern slavery is one of her top priorities. She pledged to drive up prosecution numbers for perpetrators of this vile crime and reform the modern slavery system.

Minister for Safeguarding, Jess Phillips said: ”For too long, modern slavery survivors and the harrowing experiences they have lived through have not been given the attention and support they deserve.

This is going to change. The actions I have announced today are a first step towards putting survivors first, eradicating the backlog of modern slavery cases to give victims the clarity and peace of mind they need to move on with their lives.

Supporting victims of modern slavery is one of my top priorities and there is much more to do. But be in no doubt, this government will use every lever at its disposal to support them while we pursue those who callously profit from their trauma and misery.

Major Kathy Betteridge, Director for Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery, The Salvation Army, said: “We welcome today’s announcement as a positive step towards prioritising the needs of survivors of modern slavery. Far too often, we see individuals in our support services whose recovery is delayed because they feel trapped in limbo, unable to move forward with their lives while awaiting decisions on their cases.

This is an encouraging sign that the new government recognises the needs of survivors and is actively listening to them and those who support them.

We look forward to working with the minister on the many challenges that remain in restoring the UK’s position as a world leader in the protection and support of survivors of modern slavery.

Key recommendations

In its report The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again, the Lords Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee recommends:

The government’s immigration policy and legislation should recognise and consider the difference between migrants who come to the UK willingly and those who have come because they have been trafficked.

An arms-length Single Enforcement Body to ensure stronger compliance with relevant labour rights and standards, which should act as a single point of contact for labour exploitation across all sectors.

Legislation requiring companies meeting the threshold to undertake modern slavery due diligence in their supply chains.

Chair of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee, Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway, said: “The prosecution rate for modern slavery is only 1.8%, with the number of victims estimated to be around 130,000 in the UK. This means too many perpetrators are free to profit from victims with impunity. Modern slavery is a hidden crime, which occurs in many areas, including illegal drugs, prostitution, domestic service, agriculture, and the care sector. Investigations and prosecutions can be complex, but there are known ways of improving their success.

“We urge our new government to prioritise protecting modern slavery victims and prosecuting the villains.

“When the Modern Slavery Act was passed in 2015, the UK was said to be world-leading but that is no longer the case. The UK is falling behind other countries and victims are paying the price. This is not acceptable in a decen