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Home Office minister rejects plans for extra support for trafficking victims

Backbench bill would grant minimum 12 months’ protection from immigration detention
A Home Office minister has rejected proposals in a parliamentary bill for new support for victims of trafficking, a letter leaked to the Guardian reveals.
Victoria Atkins, the minister for safeguarding, outlined her opposition to the modern slavery (victim support) bill, which calls for trafficking victims of all nationalities to receive a minimum of 12 months’ access to safe housing, support and protection from immigration detention.
The private member’s bill has been tabled by Ian McColl, a Conservative life peer, and co-sponsored by Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative party leader and former work and pensions secretary.
Atkins wrote to Maya Esslemont, the director of After Exploitation, a data mapping project tracking outcomes for slavery survivors in the UK, last week expressing her opposition to the bill.
The minister said the government had been carefully considering the issues raised in the bill but “does not support the … bill in its current form. The government does not agree that victims should automatically be granted leave to remain for 12 months.”
The letter added: “The government does not have an absolute exclusion from detention for any particular group.” It said that if the government did detain victims of trafficking who were vulnerable, assessments known as adults at risk were carried out and the detention was authorised by senior Home Office officials. Atkins’ letter outlines a series of measures the Home Office is taking to support trafficking victims.
According to Home Office data obtained by After Exploitation through freedom of information requests, 1,256 potential trafficking victims were detained in 2019.
The private member’s bill, along with a letter last October signed by dozens of NGOs, calls for increased protection for trafficking victims, particularly those at risk of deportation because they are not UK nationals.
If trafficking victims are deported, not only are their lives potentially put at risk but valuable intelligence about who trafficked them could be lost.
Esslemont said: “In order to be recognised as a survivor, victims are first referred by ‘first responders’ and then assessed via a two-stage process sometimes lasting years. It is insulting that even where victims undergo the gruelling steps requested of them, the government cannot meet survivors halfway with incredibly basic and short-term protection.
“The current system of support and recognition is unsustainable and makes it difficult for non-UK survivors to report crime due to the threat of deportation or detention. Equally, UK survivors cannot be confident about the length of support, such as access to safe housing, they will receive if they come forward. Until the government creates a culture of safety for those exploited, it is impossible to win the trust of survivors who are rightfully fearful of seeking help.”
Atkins said in a statement: “The government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives. We have already implemented a number of significant reforms to the national referral mechanism aimed at improving the speed, quality and independence of the decision-making, and offering the best possible support for victims.”
source: Diane Taylor
Levant
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- April 17, 2025
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This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.
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