Addressing the House of Commons on Monday (13 December), Sunak proposed a series of measures to address to the backlog of asylum seekers awaiting processing, which children’s rights leaders have condemned as “unbelievably callous”.
They are particularly concerned about the proposed tightening of modern slavery legislation, after Sunak said the government plans to “significantly raise the threshold someone has to meet to be considered a modern slave".
A case worker will be required to have “objective evidence” of modern slavery to class someone as a victim, meaning victims will be required to provide proof of their exploitation when first identified.
Patricia Durr, chief executive of Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK) branded the move as an “attack on victims’ rights”, saying the measures “undermine the identification and support for victims of child trafficking, significantly and further weakening both our child protection and modern slavery frameworks.”
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