By Annie Manknell
Today, on International Day Against Trafficking (July 30th), with the theme ‘Organised Crime- End the Exploitation’, we must take action to protect the most vulnerable in our society. In the UK, over 19,125 people referred themselves to the authorities in 2024 for human trafficking, with real estimates being much higher, at 130,000 people, as reported by Anti-slavery International in the UK.
Human Rights Obligations
The lack of legislation to end the plight of refugees and those trafficked is a deep source of disappointment in existing legislation. Instead of utilising the rule of law and strengthening cross-border cooperation to combat exploitation of vulnerable people, the focus has been on increasingly anti-immigration legislation and dangerous ‘smash the gangs’ rhetoric, endangering the safety and human rights of victims.
The campaign to end modern slavery, forced labour, exploitation, and human rights abuses is one embedded into the Jewish community, with the historical parallels of the Holocaust, the journey of Moses and the oppression of the Jewish population in Egypt in the Old Testament. Now, the prejudices and discrimination that refugees and victims of trafficking face are only worsened by punitive legislation, as the government ignores those already suffering.
As a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the UK has an obligation to strengthen its efforts to prevent and eradicate human trafficking. Article 4 of the ECHR details that ‘No one shall be held in slavery or servitude’ and ‘No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour’, fundamentally protecting our essential right to freedom. Unfortunately, Article 4 is under threat daily from trafficking and oppression; current measures are insufficient to prevent it.
Resilience
Central to the Jewish story are ideas of resilience, of hope, of help for those suffering from forced labour and trafficking. As far back as 1885, the Jewish Association for the Protection of Girls and Women (JAPGW) was formed to specifically aid trafficked Jewish women and girls. They provided prevention and action, in the form of education, housing and protection to those vulnerable to sexual exploitation, through kindness and support to those in the community and beyond- and so, pioneered respect for human dignity, freedoms and rights in the UK.
Harms for Survivors of Trafficking in Policy
Despite the worldwide problem of human trafficking, the lack of safe routes and current UK government policies forces many into situations where they are vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and perilous modes of entry to the UK. In particular, the absence of safe and legal routes for people to reach the UK actually heightens desperation amongst those looking for safety, driving them to risk the uncertainty of the offers of passage, leaving them with few options and falling into the hands of traffickers. Instead of protecting such vulnerable individuals, the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act Immigration Act criminalises them for seeking safety because of the irregular ways in which they entered the UK and extends the pause on protection decisions for trafficking survivors facing deportation, while at the same time preventing survivors from accessing the necessary support they need increasing alarm at the uncertainty of their legal status.
Most alarming, however, is the Illegal Migration Act 2023, which has not yet been repealed by Labour’s ‘Border and Security Bill’ (2025), according to which refugees are ineligible for aid or support from the UK government, just because of the irregular way in which they arrived in the UK, including if they were trafficking against their will. In effect, these people are punished by the government for having been exploited and trafficked, a clear breach of Article 4 of the ECHR. They are not treated as people, merely statistics- and this leaves those abused ever more broken and ever more fearful.
These recent actions do not just overlook torture- they breach basic human rights and facilitate the suffering of survivors by opening them up to re-exploitation.
The sad reality is that too many people, including refugees, find themselves being trafficked or exploited by criminals as they navigate their way to safety in the UK and elsewhere. They are overlooked behind fear-mongering media outlets and punchy slogans. It is our responsibility to continue to work to end their exploitation and secure their safety and dignity. It is not a privilege to be safe from exploitation; it is a basic human right we must protect, a basic human dignity that must be conserved.
Take Action
The time to use the community’s voice to demand change—true social, political, and legal reform—is now. The only way to implement affirmative action is through legal channels, and you can contribute too. By writing to your MP or even reading upcoming briefings by Rene Cassin and supporting their message, you can make a significant difference in creating a better world.
Supports the Amendments to the Border Security and Immigration Bill:
- BARONESS HAMWEE and LORD GERMAN’s amendment to clause 48, which would prevent a public authority, when determining whether a person is a victim of slavery or human trafficking, from sharing information with immigration authorities and other public authorities that might result in deportation or prosecution for an immigration offence.
- BARONESS HAMWEE’s amendment to clause 48, which ensures that recognised victims of trafficking (those who have received a positive conclusive grounds decision) will be able to access meaningful long-term support and recovery.
