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Investigations + comments in the news
2025
March
o NGOs Say U.K. Government Neglecting Victims Of Trafficking And Slavery
– Forbes
o Stop conflating sex work and sex trafficking, Labour told
– The Big Issue
o How we define ‘sexual exploitation’ is fuelling violence against women and girls
– The Big Issue
February
o Government agency steps in to pay major city crime victims
– Solicitors Journal
o I didn’t know I was a human trafficking victim till I was in my 50s – why did nobody rescue me?
– The Big Issue
January
o Starmer urged to prioritise child sexual exploitation victims
The Guardian
2024
December
o How can we tackle modern slavery if those on the frontline don’t know what it looks like?
– The Big Issue
September
o More than 1,500 child trafficking victims in UK feared to be back with traffickers
– The Guardian
August
o Hundreds of modern slavery victims locked up in English prisons
– Open Democracy
July
o Trafficking victims being turned down for compensation in ‘horrendous failing’
– The Independent
o Government to reconsider unlawful trafficking policy following legal challenge
– Duncan Lewis
o Thousands of modern slavery victims in UK feared back with traffickers after seeking help
– The Guardian
May
o We took the Home Office to task for lying on modern slavery. We still don’t have answers
– Big Issue
o Sex education age limits to ensure children ‘not exposed to too much too soon’
– The Evening Standard + Regional titles
o UK’s Modern Slavery Response Criticized for Transparency Deficit
– The Jurist
o Trafficking statistics show positive decisions by the immigration enforcement competent authority are at a record low
– Free Movement
March
o Modern slavery referrals reach record high with UK the most common nationality
– The Independent
January
o Home Office U-turns on policy to restrict help for trafficking victims
– The Guardian
2023
December
o Home Office drops modern slavery support measures over ‘viability and funding’
– Civil Service World, Politics Home, iNews
o Government u-turns on pledge to support modern slavery victims for 12 months
– iNews
November
o A man I met online helped me get to the UK from Ukraine – then it got dark
– iNews
o Modern slavery victims ‘put at risk’ as Home Office waiting times at record high
– iNews
o Thousands of modern slavery cases rejected in Home Office crackdown on ‘bogus claims’
– The Independent
July
o Hundreds of modern slavery cases on hold after Home Office admits ‘unlawful’ guidance
– The Independent
May
o Potential modern slavery victims sent packing as new UK borders act bites
– openDemocracy
March
o NGOs, MPs and academics call for withdrawal of UK’s illegal migration bill
– The Guardian
o UK’s illegal migration bill will force traffickers underground, says May
– The Guardian
o Suella Braverman’s Rwanda visit under fire after ‘gleeful’ conduct joking about interior design
– iNews
o Nearly 10,000 modern slavery victims waiting over two years for a Home Office decision
– The Independent
o Hundreds of trafficking victims in UK missing after referral to support scheme
– The Guardian
o Only 23% of those prosecuted for trafficking and slavery are convicted
NationalWorld
January
o Government accused of ‘attacking’ modern slavery protections while failing to appoint watchdog
– The Independent
2022
September
o Rising number of modern slavery victims getting in touch with police
– Business Live, Policing News + Mirror Group titles
o Modern slavery victims: Pawns in the Government’s anti asylum campaigns
– Byline Times
August
o UK’s people trafficking referrals at record high, Home Office data shows
– The Guardian, Press Association + Various titles
July
o How the UK detained thousands of potential trafficking victims
– The New Statesman
o What is modern slavery, and are victims being failed? – Each Other
o UK Home Office launches new assault on the rights of modern slavery survivors – OpenDemocracy
o To reach survivors like Mo Farah, defending refugee protections is not enough – Free Movement Law
March
o Record number of suspected modern slavery victims in UK
– Evening Standard (and various titles)
February
o How Lush is taking a stand against modern slavery (After Exploitation x Lush campaign)
– Bustle
o [Exclusive] Thousands identified as suspected modern slavery victims fail to be referred for government support
– Independent Online
o ‘Trauma deadlines’ for trafficking victims would have stopped me seeking help
– Independent Online
o Lush to campaign against scrapping modern slavery support
– Watford Observer + regional titles
o UK Nationality and Borders Bill will slash support for modern slavery victims
– OpenDemocracy
o I endured modern slavery, but my story could have been much worse under the Nationality and Borders Bill
– Stylist Magazine
January
o ‘Trauma deadline’ in Borders Bill would see survivors miss out on support
– Big Issue
o Huge rise in number of trafficking victims in UK immigration detention
– The Guardian
o Criminal gangs are making billions selling illegal tobacco from derelict shops
– VICE News
o Trafficking victims will face ‘trauma deadlines’ as a result of Nationality and Borders Bill
– Byline Times
2021
October
o Thousands of potential trafficking victims held in immigration detention, data shows
– The Guardian
September
o Asylum overhaul could leave trafficking victims without protection, UK slavery tsar warns
– The Independent
July
o Home Office is making conditions for human trafficking victims harder
– Left Foot Forward
o Four out of five rejected trafficking claims were overturned in the UK last year
– The Guardian
o New figures show the UK Government is failing modern slavery victims, say campaigners
– Business Insider
o Data shows Home Office is failing to protect victims of trafficking, says Labour
– Sky News
o Hundreds of modern slavery victims wrongly turned away
– The Independent
o ‘New Immigration Plan’ will crack down on genuine modern slavery victims
– Byline Times
May
o ‘Grave danger’ trafficking victims will be ignored under Immigration Plan
– Independent
o Home Office ‘will make it harder for victims to be recognised’
– Byline Times
April
o ‘Hugely retrograde step’: Cross-party MPs attack Home Office plans to lock up more trafficking survivors
– The Independent
March
o Six years on from the Modern Slavery Act, activists ask what has changed for victims of trafficking
– Freedom Collaborative
o Labour Leader backs Early Day Motion on detention of victims
– The Guardian
o Home Office admits new immigration plans may see more trafficking victims locked up
– The Independent and Sky News
o Home Office pushing through changes to detention without any public debate or scrutiny
– Byline Times
February
o What happens to victims of modern slavery?
– Yorkshire Post (and 7+ titles)
o FOI Act: Michael Gove office’s cover-up claims shows transparency is more important than ever
– i Paper
o Thousands of potential trafficking victims detained, figures show
– Independent, Gal-Dem, and Sky News
o Important victory against Hostile Environment secrecy
– By-Line Times
January
o UK Government Ordered To Say What It’s Doing With Human Trafficking Victims
– Forbes
o Home Office Minister rejects plans for extra trafficking support
– The Guardian and Independent
2020
October
o Modern slavery: support workers warned not to speak out about fear for victims
– The Independent
o UK’s immigration policies are threatening survivors of modern slavery
– Thomson Reuters (and The Independent)
o Is The Government Doing Enough To Keep Victims Out Of Detention?
– Forbes
o Statistics on modern-day slavery in UK suppressed by Government, study reports
– Church Times
September
o UK’s data denial threatens trafficking victims’ access to justice and support – Thomson Reuters
June
o Thousands of suspected trafficking victims ‘slipping through net’ when identified by authorities, figures show – The Independent
o Thousands of potential trafficking victims ‘not given vital support’ – The Guardian
o Asylum support: An increase of 26p is no increase at all – Freedom From Torture
May
o Home Office to review detention policy after admitting trafficked woman was locked up – The Independent
o Is an end to detaining trafficking victims in sight? – The Independent
April
o Opinion: How the UK could be failing migrant victims of trafficking – and what we can do about it – Each Other
March
o It took me two years to realise I was trafficked – Metro Opinion
February
o From shackles to handcuffs – Mirror Group titles (various)
o The detention of trafficking victims is soaring – Each Other
o Go Figure!: Modern Slavery – Private Eye
2019
October
o Exclusive: Child trafficking referrals sore 800% in five years – Sky News
August
o Exclusive: UK found sending home dozens of slavery victims despite re-trafficking fears – Thomson Reuters
July
o After Exploitation: using FOI to understand what happens to victims of modern slavery – MySociety
o After Exploitation’s open letter: Government must do more to protect victims of human trafficking – Independent Online
o Home Office forced to defend cover-up of detention of modern slavery victims – Independent Online
o Home Office accused of covering up plight of hundreds of potential trafficking victims wrongly detained – Independent Online
o More than 500 potential victims of trafficking detained in 2018, study finds – The Guardian
o Over 500 suspected slaves locked up by Britain last year – Thomson Reuters Foundation
o Warning over trafficking – The Scotsman
o Trafficked: The Chinese women trapped in British detention centres -Politics.co.uk
o Hundreds of [potential] trafficking victims held in immigration detention centres – Sky News
o More Than 500 Suspected Human Trafficking Victims Were Locked Up in the UK Last Year – Global Citizen
o “Hell”: UK’s shocking treatment of trafficking victims exposed – South China Morning Post
After Exploitation 
