sGovt plans to overhaul modern slavery laws could weaken victims protections

CARE has expressed concern over proposed changes to modern slavery laws raised in response to migrants crossing the English Channel.

In the past few months, Suella Braverman has repeatedly claimed that the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is being "gamed" by criminals set in illegal immigration to the UK.

In a paper published yesterday, Ms Braverman said Britons are "fed up with the continued flouting" and "abuse" of immigration rules.

According to the Mail Online, options being considered are tightening the criteria for which claims can be lodged, raising the evidential threshold and barring whole nationalities from making claims.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has said Albanians should be barred from claiming asylum, adding that people coming from "a safe country like Albania should be excluded from the right to claim asylum".

Other tougher rules being considered include banning asylum seekers who arrive via illegal routes, such as on cross-Channel small boats, from ever settling in the United Kingdom.

Rebecca Stevenson, trafficking policy expert at CARE, comments:

“Anti-slavery laws must not be amended to the detriment of genuine victims of human trafficking. A blanket ban on certain nationalities would exclude genuine victims and could create the incentive for traffickers to traffic and exploit victims from those specific countries, as they will have no legitimate means to leave the exploitation and seek support.”