An expert panel drawn together by the Evening Standard and Independent has today published a report urging the Government to do improve the long term support for victims of human trafficking.

Among the report’s findings is that the “Government must put victim support on a statutory footing” and “Longer term support for victims and survivors is key to breaking the cycle of slavery and should be available to survivors irrespective of immigration status”.

Both these findings are addressed by Lord McColl’s Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill which the report acknowledges saying “the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill currently before Parliament, proposes welcome improvements to survivor support provision.”

CARE welcomes the expert panel’s report and we urge the Government to listen to its recommendations and to support Lord McColl’s Bill.

We are continuing to work with our partners on the free for good campaign encouraging members of the public to write to their MPs about the Bill.

You can read more about the free for good campaign launch here

The Evening Standard and Independent report made a number of other recommendations covering the role of business, communities, public sector bodies, and also the media.

The expert panel was chaired by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and involved Kevin Hyland, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, a survivor of human trafficking and a range of other experts engaged in tackling human trafficking including philanthropists, business leaders and journalists.