Gaming the system: How the government is failing victims of human trafficking

In June, the Home Secretary agreed to withdraw rules in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance that required potential victims of modern slavery and trafficking to submit ‘objective’ evidence in their claims.

The rules, which were introduced in January 2023, created a higher threshold of proof for individuals seeking pre-confirmation (reasonable grounds) of their victim status. All claims are made through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the government’s system for identifying and confirming victims of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) and processed by Home Office-trained staff.

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