Safeguard survivors, punish perpetrators and prevent exploitation – the correct strategy to end human trafficking and modern slavery 

Joint response to the announcement of reforms to the modern slavery framework 

With the announcement today that the new Immigration and Asylum Bill will include reforms to the modern slavery legislative framework, leading organisations and experts warn the government that it cannot end human trafficking and modern slavery without a safeguarding-first response to survivors that shifts the balance of risk decisively onto traffickers. 

While we welcome indications the Bill may include some positive improvements for the identification and support of child trafficking victims, we are concerned that there remains no meaningful commitment to a comprehensive child exploitation strategy. Furthermore, minimal and selective commitments on children must not be used to justify wider reforms that will deny survivors’ protection, embolden traffickers, and place more children at risk of exploitation and harm.