Slavery resources

In written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, the ATMG outlines deeps concerns on developments affecting human trafficking and modern slavery in the United Kingdom through the proposed “Illegal Migration” Bill.

This briefing on the new Illegal Migration Bill brings together the core concerns of several leading modern slavery charities across the whole of the UK. Highlighting how we view this legislation as costly, unworkable and deeply inhumane; and urging the government to scrap this plan immediately.

Today, UN experts expressed alarm at the UK Government’s use of unevidenced claims and sensationalist language towards survivors of trafficking and modern slavery, stating these attacks on the credibility of survivors and their legal representatives have a “chilling effect.” Following this release, twenty one anti-slavery organisations have released a statement calling on the Government to end its roll-back of rights and protection for survivors, and recommit to support, assistance and safeguarding for all victims of this grave crime.

Anti-Slavery International

In written evidence to the UK’s Environmental Audit Committee, we urge the Committee to recognise and assess the risk of the use of forced labour of Uyghurs and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples in the solar industry and energy storage technology industries, and to develop recommendations which map out a pathway for how the UK Government can support the UK solar industry to develop a truly ‘clean’ industry, which does not rely on the systemic forced labour of persecuted communities.

As the world’s largest single market, the EU has an enormous opportunity to set global leadership in its of design laws and approaches to address systemic forced labour in corporate supply chains. This EU toolbox of legislation and policy must include legislation which controls the trade and retail of products made with forced labour on the EU market. Alongside other measures, including mandatory due diligence legislation, a forced labour ban will act as a powerful government enforcement tool which incentivises companies to meaningfully address forced labour in their supply chains.

Anti-Slavery International, ECCHR and The Greens/EFA Group therefore welcome the European Commission’s “Proposal for a Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market” (‘Regulation’), published on 14 September 2022. Yet to be effective, significant improvements must be made to the European Commission’s proposal.

To help shape the design of the Regulation, this document sets out a model law with the key elements which must be included in the European Commission’s proposal, in order to create a worker-centred Regulation. As the debate in the European Union continues, we urge all decision makers to consult with organisations representing workers around the world, to ensure that the Regulation is designed with their needs and interests at its core.

Following the UK government’s announcement of a new Modern Slavery Bill which aims to reduce the prevalance of modern slavery in supply chains, we, along with allies outlined the principles for strengthening measures on supply chains with this Bill.

There is huge potential for action by businesses to reduce modern slavery around the world. The Transparency in Supply Chains provision of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 led the world in addressing modern slavery in company supply chains. However, non-compliance and poor quality reporting has limited its effectiveness and it has become evident that additional legal approaches beyond reporting are necessary. The forthcoming bill is an opportunity to strengthen our legislation and give the UK the tools needed to prevent goods produced through forced labour entering UK supply chains.

17.3 million people are estimated to be in forced labour in the private sector and 3.9 million in state-imposed forced labour. Tackling the root causes that drive this forced labour requires a toolbox of measures. In this brief we outline the measures that are needed to truly tackle forced labour in global supply chains.

In February 2022, the European Commission committed to preparing a new legislative instrument to “effectively ban products made by forced labour from entering the EU market”.

The European Commission has since committed to publishing its proposal for this instrument in September 2022, and in May 2022 published its Call for Evidence for this proposal, committing to a ban which would cover both domestic (EU) and imported products. On 9 June 2022, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution, which advocates strongly for a new trade instrument to ban products made by forced labour.

Anti-Slavery International and the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) welcome these developments with a view to ensure that goods made or transported in-whole or in-part with forced labour, including forced labour of children, cannot be sold in the European Union.

This contribution builds on Anti-Slavery International and ECCHR’s experience in working with partners based in countries with a high prevalence of forced labour which are linked to supply chains of products sold in the EU. Furthermore, this contribution builds on the lessons learnt from existing import control measures in the USA, and analysis of current gaps in EU legislation.

Anti-Slavery International. The brief provides parliamentarians with an overview of the relationship between human trafficking and online safety and outlines concerns and recommendations relating to the Bill.

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