The Home Office has taken the briefing on modern slavery from the minister responsible for conservation and classified it as an “illegal immigration and asylum” issue, updated online ministerial profiles show.
The move is seen as a clear sign that the department is doubling down on Suella Braverman’s suggestion that people are “gaming” the modern system of slavery and that victims of crime are no longer a priority.
The previous defense secretary, Rachel McLean, had modern slavery on her official list of ministerial responsibilities, but her successor, Mims Davies, did not mention the crime on her list. Instead, modern slavery is listed at the end of Immigration Secretary Tom Pursglove’s brief report on “illegal immigration and asylum”.
Under Theresa May, the government has pledged to be a world leader in the fight against modern slavery, but Braverman said last week that allegations of trafficking by “people who game the system” were “derailing the UK’s policy on illegal migration”.
The Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “The single largest group of victims of modern slavery under the referral system last year were British children – including those who were exploited across county borders.
“The evidence shows that most of the exploitation takes place in the UK, not overseas.
“The Government must treat this as an enforcement and protection matter and take tougher action against the crime of modern slavery wherever it occurs.”
Victims’ charities say characterizing the crime as a matter of illegal immigration is dangerous. More than a quarter of all people identified as potential victims of modern slavery are British, according to official statistics.
Olivia Field, head of policy at the British Red Cross, said: “Modern slavery is a crime that can affect people no matter where they are from or where they are in the world.
“From our work supporting people who have lived through horrific experiences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking, we know that urgent improvements are needed to better protect and support survivors.
“In order not to make it harder for people to get the help they need, we would call for the lens to tackle modern slavery to be safeguarded, focused on protecting the people affected by this crime, rather than being treated as an immigration issue. “
Despite Braverman’s claims that people were “gaming” the system, 97% of all modern-day slavery referrals made in the first half of this year were confirmed as genuine by authorities.
The Home Secretary’s comments were refuted by the chief executive of the Gangmasters and Labor Abuse Authority, Elysia McCaffrey, who said: “We’re not seeing people gaming the system… What we’re seeing are vulnerable people being exploited by opportunists and criminals. “
Kate Roberts, head of policy at Focus on Labor Exploitation, said: “Modern slavery is a serious crime committed against individuals and treating it as an immigration issue is wrong and risky.
“Preventing and tackling modern slavery must take a people-centred approach – starting with protecting and ensuring the rights of potential victims. Although restricted or uncertain immigration status can be abused by exploiters who use immigration detention as a threat against seeking help from the authorities, it is only one of many tools that traffickers use, as evidenced by the fact that many Britons are victims of traffic.”
In another sign that the government is no longer prioritizing tackling crime, there has been no independent anti-slavery commissioner in post since Sarah Thornton left in April, despite this being a legal requirement since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and in the UK we have a world-leading response. However, it is clear that people are abusing our system when they have no right to be here to thwart their removal.
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