by Cat Linton
Drawing from our frontline work supporting Black and minoritised migrant women within the criminal justice and immigration systems, this briefing explores how victim-survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking continue to be criminalised for offences they were coerced into committing. Despite the urgent need to access safety and support, many are punished rather than protected, facing prosecution, detention, deportation, and life-long barriers to stability and recovery.
This briefing in collaboration with After Exploitation outlines key legal and policy failings, including the limited application of Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act, the impact of Public Order Disqualifications under the Nationality and Borders Act, and the lack of access to specialist, trauma-informed support for survivors with no recourse to public funds.
We are calling for an end to the criminalisation of victim-survivors and the urgent need for sustained investment in specialist services that understand and respond to the complex needs of Black and minoritised migrant women who have experienced exploitation.
You can read the brief here: Criminalisation of Modern Slavery Survivors