LONDON: The UK government has reversed a contentious new anti-human trafficking policy over claims that it overburdened victims with evidence requirements, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
On Jan. 30, Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced the new policy requiring victims to present immediate evidence of trafficking in order for the government to consider them potential victims of slavery.
Braverman said that the policy aimed to tackle trafficking victims who were “gaming the system,” despite the chair of the home affairs select committee, Dame Diana Johnson, saying that there was a lack of evidence behind the home secretary’s policy shift.
Since the rules were implemented, the number of claims accepted has decreased dramatically, The Guardian reported. According to Home Office statistics, 88 percent of cases in 2022 received a decision that they were potential victims of trafficking. The figure had fallen to 58 percent in the first quarter of 2023.
Human rights and anti-trafficking organizations had warned that the amendments would result in many genuine victims’ cases being rejected, putting them at risk of further exploitation.
The challenge against the policy change was brought by two potential trafficking victims who received negative decisions, despite the Home Office believing that the evidence they supplied was genuine.
Braverman withdrew the new rules before the case reached a full high court hearing, The Guardian reported.
Shalini Patel, of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, who represented the two victims, told the Guardian: “This is an incredible win for our clients and many other survivors of trafficking who would have otherwise received negative reasonable grounds decisions as a result of the policy.
“It should have been evident from the outset that the requirement for trafficking survivors to provide objective evidence was always going to be impossible and cause survivors of trafficking to fall at the first hurdle. The impact that a negative decision would have on a survivor of trafficking is huge.
“A negative decision results in a survivor of trafficking being left without any support including accommodation, casework support and financial support, and would place them at significant risk of further exploitation.”
A Home Office spokesperson told the Guardian: “Modern slavery is a barbaric crime. We are committed to tackling it and ensuring victims are given the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives. The national referral mechanism provides support to thousands of victims of modern slavery each year, but some people seek to exploit the system, which is why we have taken steps to prevent this.
“The Home Office regularly updates statutory guidance and we will shortly issue a further clarification to the current guidance on modern slavery claims. We do not comment on ongoing litigation.”
Braverman said that she will propose replacement rules by July 10. Until then, she said that no negative decisions about trafficking victims would be made.
Courtesy: arabnews
