Charity warns small boats plan a threat to trafficking victims

Campaigners have blasted the UK Government's immigration plans as a danger to trafficking victims.

Unseen, a charity that helps people escape exploitation, is calling on MPs to oppose aspects of the small boats bill.

At present, the plans would make anyone entering the UK illegally subject to arrest, detention and deportation and unable to claim asylum.

Illegal immigrants also face being barred from accessing support offered to modern slavery victims under existing legislation.

This despite the fact people coming to the UK can be coerced and exploited, both before and after making the journey.

Andrew Wallis, Chief Executive of Unseen, told The Guardian: “I’m hugely concerned that we have legislation going through parliament that will deny modern slavery victims access to support and protection that has not a shred of evidence behind it."

“There has been a deliberate conflating of immigration, smuggling and trafficking by this government, who are now saying that victims of serious crime will not have access to justice or the support they need purely based on the way that they entered the country".

The CEO added that this is dangerous because trafficking victims are often brought to the UK by "force or coercive, deceptive or fraudulent means.”

Analysis – by CARE’s James Mildred

Put simply, while the small boats legislation assumes victims will still be identified, they will not be entitled to support or prevention form deportation unless they are helping the police or prosecutors with their enquiries.

In other words, if you’re trafficked into the UK via a small boat, you’re identified, unless you decide there and then to help the police, you’ll be deported. The whole point, however, of long-term support is to give victims the time they need to make those sort of decisions.

Pioneer of the Modern Slavery Act, Theresa May, said the UK Government had agreed to meet with her to discuss her concerns around modern slavery. Perhaps at committee stage, we’ll see some changes and amendments made. They are badly needed.