British Refugee Applicants Not Widely Exploiting Modern Slavery Rules, Report Finds

A new report from a centre-right thinktank has found that asylum seekers do not widely abuse human trafficking protections in the UK, undermining assertions made by multiple interior ministers.

Limited Evidence of False Claims

The report by the thinktank Bright Blue finds little proof that asylum seekers are making dishonest claims to have been victims of modern slavery as a tactic to stay in the country. This comes despite numerous interior ministers having blamed these rules for hindering deportation efforts.

"The Home Office believes the modern slavery referral system is subject to abuse because it allows people to stay in Britain a bit longer," stated Ryan Shorthouse, executive chairman of the institute. "However, although there may be certain exploitation, we are sceptical that it is pervasive."

Reforms May Have Minimal Effect

The findings further indicate that promises by the current home secretary, the Home Secretary, to overhaul trafficking regulations may achieve only limited success in lowering the number of asylum claimants. Her plans are expected to be set out in the coming year.

The authors, however, propose a new system focused on earlier detection of modern slavery as a way to eradicate the small degree of abuse that they say exists.

Increasing Cases and Official Stance

The volume of individuals referred to the framework has climbed steeply since its introduction in 2015, from just over 3,000 in 2015 to more than 19,000 last year.

Previous interior ministers have blamed the refugee process for this increase, alleging applicants of seeking to be classified as survivors of modern-day slavery to avoid being deported.

They point to the fact that certain of the nationalities most frequently identified for assessment also represent a large portion of the bulk of asylum claims. UK citizens make up the biggest cohort, followed by individuals from Albanian, Vietnam and Eritrean nationalities.

Assessment Outcomes

• The report found that nine in ten of those referred were judged to have reasonable grounds for classification as victims, suggesting most instances were not vexatious.
• Nor are most individuals of those found to have been subjected from trafficking granted permission to stay permanently. The classification more often leads to financial redress and merely short-term leave to stay.

Suggested Reforms

The authors suggest the government should train official frontline agencies including the Home Office and Border Force to identify signs of trafficking more quickly. Once that is done, the report states the government could prohibit those in detention – who will have already been assessed – from being referred at all.

In response, a Home Office spokesperson commented: "Modern slavery referrals are rising. This is the reason the home secretary proposed changes … to spot at-risk individuals and stop misuse."

"The statement fundamentally reforms the approach to unauthorized immigration, rendering the UK a less attractive destination for unlawful entrants and more difficult for individuals to block their removal from this country," the spokesperson added.