Hope for Justice has presented evidence in Parliament as part of an inquiry into the impact of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Our Senior Policy and Research Advisor, Euan Fraser, gave evidence to the House of Lords select committee on Monday 11th March.
The submission focused largely on the impact of recent UK law, namely the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Illegal Migration Act 2023, on survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The visit to Parliament on 11th March coincided with Commonwealth Day
Euan Fraser said: “It was a privilege to give evidence to the House of Lords select committee reviewing the Modern Slavery Act, sharing insights from our team at Hope for Justice. The session focused on the impact of recent legislation on the identification and support for survivors, picking up many themes of our research on how the hostile environment policy has hindered efforts to safeguard survivors.
“I was able to share the words of one survivor who told us: ‘It’s like everywhere you go for help there will be barriers and feels like the system is designed for you not to share without any repercussions – so again you are silenced and dismissed.’”
Euan Fraser gives evidence in the House of Lords
Hope for Justice submitted oral evidence alongside two other charities, Migrant Help and The Salvation Army.
The House of Lords select committee was appointed on 24th January 2024 to consider the impact of the 2015 Modern Slavery Act and its effectiveness in achieving its aims.
It is looking at how the Act’s provisions have been implemented, how the Act has been impacted by recent political developments, and whether the Act requires improvement.
The select committee has also called for written evidence relating to: the impact of recent legislation on the Act, whether the Act has kept up-to-date with developments in modern slavery and human trafficking, the effectiveness of the Act in relation to supply chains, reporting, enforcement and other key provisions, the role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner, and suggestions for improvement.
Hope for Justice is due to submit written evidence before the deadline of Wednesday 27th March.
The select committee is due to report its findings to government by 30th November 2024.
