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Immigration Solicitors

Theresa May: UK to be at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, but what of the victims left behind? (13 October 2016)

Date: 13/10/2016
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, Theresa May: UK to be at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, but what of the victims left behind?

Prime Minister Theresa May has called for the UK to lead the global fight against human trafficking, but is this noble battle detracting from the lack of support for victims that have been left behind?

The UK’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner Kevin Hyland has stated in his first annual report that there are ‘too many gaps’ for victims to fall through. A total of 3,146 allegations were made throughout England and Wales and only 884 crimes have been recorded. It is clear these areas need further change but his report fails to also recognise the importance of victim-support post-‘freedom’.

Mrs May will be speaking at a service held in honour of William Wilberforce, an 18th Century Anti-Slave campaigner who successfully lobbied for slaves to be freed throughout the British Empire. She will state: “our challenge is to ensure that the fight against slavery carries on - to free people from the bonds of servitude, to free those in mental
chains, and to free people from the clutches of slave-drivers and traffickers.”

In Mrs May’s position as Home Secretary, she was responsible for passing the Modern Slavery Act, which led other European countries to follow suit. This Act was created to make provisions for ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and about human trafficking, including provision for the protection of victims; to make provision for an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner; and for connected purposes.’ Little is incorporated into the Act in order to support the victims after they had been ‘free[d]’; instead focusing on protecting victims during the trials.

In the majority of cases, trafficking takes place across borders meaning the victim is left to sort immigration issues whilst dealing with the trauma of what has happened to them. Toufique Hossain, Director of Public Law and Immigration at Duncan Lewis has stated that: "we welcome the Prime Minister's speech on trafficking. However, her government needs to stop the routine detention of victims of trafficking. We see far too many traffic victims detained in UK immigration detention centres".

Kevin Hyland’s first annual report doesn’t seem to cover such issues, and until these problems are addressed how can the UK truly claim to be at the forefront of ‘the fight against human trafficking’?

Duncan Lewis recently challenged the Home Office on the Detained Casework Process, including how they approached traffic victims' protection claims within detention. The lead case of TCV was settled before the hearing with the Home Office accepting that they unlawfully detained him.

Duncan Lewis is the largest immigration team in the UK with a broad practice representing business and individual vulnerable clients in all aspects of personal immigration, asylum/human rights and nationality matters. Duncan Lewis' Immigration team holds exclusive legal aid contracts to represent victims of torture or trafficking in immigration detention related matters; detained asylum casework and unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The department holds a niche practice representing judicial review immigration claimant cases before the High Court with a significant practice in Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal appellant cases, unlawful immigration detention cases with high net claims for damages and challenging immigration removal cases. Duncan Lewis has lodged more immigration judicial review proceedings in 2015 than any other immigration legal team in the UK.

If you have been a victim of trafficking, or know someone who has, please contact Duncan Lewis' Immigration team on 0333 772 0409.


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