UPDATE: On 19 October, MPs voted against clause 12 and so the amendment fell. However, the Government did offer some concessions and there will be further conversations today. Please pray that those conversations go well and Lord McColl is able to secure more from the Government. Thank you to all of you who took the time to email your MP.

As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, there are serious questions about what this will mean for the rights of human trafficking victims. There is a risk that the Government's Immigration and Social Security Coordination Bill will lessen the rights and protections victims in England and Wales currently enjoy. This could have devastating consequences for trafficked men, women and children.

We at CARE have been working with Peers while the bill was going through the House of Lords. On Monday 6 October, Peers voted 312-211 in support of Lord McColl's Amendment 27. The McColl Amendment seeks to do something very simple. It aims to guarantee human trafficking victims who are from countries in the European Economic Area (this is the 27 EU Member States and Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein) the right to stay in the UK and access benefits and services for 12 months, if they meet the relevant criteria to be confirmed as victims. Amendment 27 is now known as Clause 12 in the Immigration and Social Security Coordination Bill.

On Monday, the bill will receive its third reading in the House of Lords and it will then enter a stage known as 'ping pong'. This is where the Bill, as amended by the Lords, will be voted on by MPs.

Will you stand with us and ask your MP to vote in favour of Clause 12? To help you do so, we've outlined some suggested points to make to your MP. Once you're ready, put your postcode in the box below and you'll be re-directed to the Write To Them Website where you'll easily be able to send an email to your MP.

Here are some suggested points to make to your MP. Please use your own words because these emails/letters are much more powerful.

• • Say you are concerned that without Clause 12, the Immigration and Social Security Coordination Bill will weaken the rights of confirmed human trafficking victims from EEA countries, leaving them with fewer options than victims from other countries
    
  • Say that statutory support for at least 12 months for confirmed victims is vital if trafficked men, women and children are to rebuild their lives.
    
  • Mention the strong support Clause 12 received in the House of Lords when Peers voted 312-211 in support of it.
    
  • Point out that it would look terrible for MPs to reject Clause 12 around the time of Anti-Slavery Day 2020, when countries can reaffirm their commitment to ending modern slavery and protecting victims.
    
  • Ask your MP to vote in favour of Clause 12, if a vote happens.
    
  • Finish by saying that whatever their view on Brexit, it should not lead to victims' rights being weakened. Clause 12 is a reasonable guarantee that post-Brexit, confirmed victims from EEA countries will be able to continue their recovery in the UK where that is what they need to do.