Thousands of victims of modern slavery are being denied help due to Britain's stricter immigration policies, a Reuters investigation has found, citing over a dozen sources.

The UK's new rules introduced in 2023, under the previous government, aimed at curbing irregular immigration has undermined the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which had required large businesses to address forced labor within their supply chains and improved protections for victims, Reuters reported on Friday (February 7).

Reuters interviewed government officials, law enforcement officers, judges, and charity workers, all of whom warned that the stricter migration policies are trapping thousands in exploitation. Many victims are either being denied support or fear coming forward due to the risk of deportation, their report found.

Following the introduction of tougher evidence requirements in 2023, the rejection rate for modern slavery claims surged from 11 percent in 2022 to 45 percent in 2023, rising to 46 percent in the first nine months of 2024, official data shows.

Migrants forced into labor, sex work, and drug trade

In 2023, the Home Office (Interior Ministry) identified approximately 17,000 individuals as potential victims of modern slavery, with an additional 13,587 cases recorded in the first nine months of 2024. The majority of these referrals involved migrants, often forced into labor in nail salons, car washes, sex work, and the illicit drug trade.

However, a House of Lords report published in October 2024, estimated that in fact 130,000 people in Britain could be classed as victims of modern slavery.

"When the Modern Slavery Act was passed in 2015, the UK was said to be world leading. That is no longer the case," stated the report, urging the government to amend the immigration rules.

Despite criticizing the 2023 reforms while in opposition, Britain's new Labour government, which took power in July, has not reversed the policies. Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer upheld a Conservative ban preventing asylum seekers from claiming modern slavery protections, despite previously arguing it weakened safeguards for trafficked women.

A Home Office spokesperson said the government is working to clear the backlog of pending cases and plans to toughen laws against criminal gangs exploiting victims.

"It is unacceptable in today's Britain that thousands of vulnerable people – mostly women and children – are being forced to work against their will, often while facing regular physical and sexual abuse," the spokesperson said.

Conservatives claim migrants exploit system to avoid deportation 

The Modern Slavery Act, introduced by former Prime Minister Theresa May in 2015, strengthened the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK’s framework for identifying and protecting trafficking victims. Under this system, organizations such as the Border Force, police, and the Home Office can refer individuals for assistance.

However, Conservative-led governments since 2019 have argued that irregular migrants exploit the system to avoid deportation. In 2023, new rules were implemented under the so-called 'Illegal Migration Act', requiring stricter proof of exploitation before a victim could receive support.

Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a former judge and House of Lords committee member, criticized the move, saying there was no evidence of widespread fraud. When questioned in May, former minister Laura Farris admitted the government had no proof of system abuse.

In the first nine months of 2024, only eight people were removed from the NRM for falsely claiming to be victims, compared to thousands of genuine cases, according to government figures. In 2023, not a single case of fraud was recorded.

Read AlsoUK plans to introduce tough measures to fight smugglers in the country

Exploited Filipina migrant worker denied support

A Filipina woman was denied NRM support after fleeing domestic slavery in Qatar, Reuters reported. She had worked as a housekeeper and nanny, reportedly enduring long hours, physical violence, and sexual abuse. When her employer brought her to London, she escaped. She had been too scared to contact authorities in Qatar because her employer was a police officer, she told the news agency.

Upon seeking asylum in the UK, she was referred to the NRM by the Home Office, but her claim was rejected due to what they said was a lack of information.

An internal Home Office letter reviewed by Reuters revealed that officials had failed to respond to key inquiries regarding her case. The woman later successfully appealed her rejection with help from a charity. She now awaits a final ruling, which could formally recognize her as a victim and potentially grant her permission to remain in the UK.

New policies deter migrant victims, advantaging traffickers  

Between 2020 and 2022, only 3-4 percent of first-stage rejections cited insufficient information. In 2023, that figure jumped to 54 percent and remained at 53 percent in 2024.

In 2023 and the first nine months of 2024, 85 percent of British nationals received positive first-stage decisions, compared to just 44 percent of foreign applicants—a gap significantly wider than in previous years, according to the UN agency for migration (IOM). Additionally, 68 percent of rejected applicants who appealed their cases successfully overturned their decisions, raising concerns about the quality of initial Home Office assessments, IOM noted.

A former director of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which investigates modern slavery cases, warned that the new policies deter victims from coming forward—making it harder to catch traffickers.

The Home Office spent 124.6 million pounds (149.5 million euros) in 2023/2024 on identifying and supporting victims. Despite this, critics argue that victims can face lengthy delays, lack of legal rights, and restrictions on employment, pushing them further into poverty and vulnerability.

Read AlsoUK plans to introduce tough measures to fight smugglers in the country

UK partners with France to crack down on migrant smuggling

The current UK government introduced a new migration bill at the end of January, aimed at updating and repealing some of the current legislation. However, Starmer's government has also promised to maintain a tough stance against those attempting to smuggle migrants into Britain.

French and British authorities continue to work together and cooperation has been strengthened since July in continued efforts to curb irregular Channel crossings by migrants from the northern French coast. 

Two men suspected of being involved in a migrant smuggling network were arrested for extradition to France, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) announced on Thursday (February 6).

The two men, a 47-year-old Albanian and a 25-year-old Iraqi, were arrested in London on Wednesday, according to the NCA.

Both are wanted by France, where they are accused of being involved in several migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats in 2022, as well as money laundering.

They are suspected of "recruiting illegal migrants wishing to cross the Channel and then laundering their profits between January 2021 and June 2023," the NCA said. They appeared in court in London on Wednesday, where their extradition process began.

In 2024, nearly 37,000 migrants reached the UK by crossing the Channel, a 25 percent increase from 2023. At least 78 people have died during crossing attempts, according to the IOM.

With Reuters and AFP