Medaille Trust has called on the government to withdraw the modern slavery provisions contained within the proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill, warning that the legislation risks undermining survivor recovery, restricting access to support, and creating further barriers to justice for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The charity argues that the bill fails to deliver on commitments to trauma-informed policy and instead continues a trend of placing greater obstacles in the path of survivors. Medaille Trust has raised particular concerns regarding proposed changes to credibility assessments, disqualification from support based on public order grounds, and the removal of recovery-related protections for survivors.
Dani Wardman, CEO of Medaille Trust, said:
"The proposed legislation undermines the recovery of vulnerable survivors, risks excluding victims from desperately needed support and fails to address the root causes preventing survivors attaining justice."
Medaille Trust believes that survivors of modern slavery require safety, stability, and long-term support in order to recover and engage effectively with the justice system. The organisation is urging the government to reconsider the legislation and pursue reforms that place survivor recovery and support at the centre of the UK's response to modern slavery.
