Modern slavery: How could the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill impact victims?

As the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill goes through parliament, Chris Hartley calls us to help protect the rights of modern slavery victims.

Faith inspired early abolitionists such as William Wilberforce to fight against slavery, recognising both its moral and rational abhorrence, and its antithesis to the teachings of Jesus. Sadly, nearly 200 years after slavery was abolished in Britain, this cruel trade persists – often it’s hidden, but it’s visible to those who look.

For 13 years, The Salvation Army and its partners have helped more than 24,000 victims escape exploitation and receive life-changing support. Many of those the Army has supported have worked with law enforcement to identify and prosecute their traffickers.

However, recent legislation threatens this progress. The Illegal Migration Act 2023, passed by the previous UK government, would bar those convicted of even minor crimes from receiving support as modern slavery victims. The Army’s most recent data shows that 10 per cent of victims are forced into criminal acts by their exploiters. As it stands, this law therefore prevents such individuals from accessing life-changing support, while potentially strengthening the control that traffickers have over their victims. To prosecute traffickers, the police depend on victims coming forward – any barriers that prevent this are beneficial to neither victims nor public safety.

We are already seeing victims being disqualified from support. One individual in the Army’s care was coerced into criminal exploitation and trafficked to the UK by his exploiters. Once in the UK, he was subject to continued violence and torture, and was in fear for his life. He was forced into criminality by the gang and was subsequently prosecuted and received a prison sentence for the crimes he was forced to do.

Upon release, he was referred into the National Referral Mechanism, the government’s framework for identifying modern slavery and trafficking victims and granting them access to the Army’s specialist support services. Once in our care, he received tailored support and was making progress in his recovery. However, after three months, he was disqualified from our service due to his criminal conviction and was left vulnerable to re-trafficking and further exploitation.

Before entering government, the Labour Party recognised these issues and we were pleased to see that its Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill repeals many of the harmful modern slavery provisions in the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and other legislation that, if enforced, could deny protection and support to many survivors who arrive or are trafficked into the UK by irregular routes. However, it does not remove the disqualification of victims on public order grounds, even for those forced to commit crimes.

The Salvation Army is urging the government to use this bill to repeal Section 29 of the Act, which would ensure that all survivors can access vital support and have the opportunity to bring their exploiters to justice. You can help by writing to your member of parliament and asking them to raise this important issue with the Home Office.

It is our faith that calls us to act – reaching out a hand to victims trapped in exploitation and bringing their exploiters to justice. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus commands us: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27). This love means that, when we see suffering in others, we don’t turn away or cross the street: we live out our faith through our actions.

Reflect and respond

• Read Luke 10:25–37. Who do you include in your definition of the word ‘neighbour’?
• Learn to spot the signs of modern slavery at salvationarmy.org.uk.
• Write to your MP and call for this harmful provision to be repealed.