Salvation Army warns of Modern Slavery crisis as victims fear seeking help

This includes the North East where in the last year 222 people were rescued and supported in safe houses and outreach services run by The Salvation Army with its partners. This is a decrease of 70 people on the previous year.

The Salvation Army is warning the decrease shows criminals are finding it easier to keep people trapped while the vile trade in human life is still prevalent in the UK today.

The figures released today to mark Anti-Slavery day show that for the first time in thirteen years, there has been a 22% decrease in the overall number of people accessing the modern slavery support services The Salvation Army runs on behalf of the Government.

Record numbers of people are turning down the opportunity to be referred to specialist support to recover by choosing not to enter the Government system for identifying and supporting victims, knows as the National Referral Mechanism. (NRM)

The downturn in people coming to The Salvation Army for help is by the church and charity attributed to recent changes in law conflating modern slavery with immigration which have made victims fearful that contact with official authorities will lead to prison or removal. In addition stricter eligibility criteria have meant fewer people are being recognised as victims of modern slavery and so unable to access vital support.

Concerned that victims are being pushed back into the hands of the traffickers, The Salvation Army estimates that for every one survivor of modern slavery given the opportunity to receive support, at least thirteen more remain trapped and exploited.

Major Kathy Betteridge, Director of Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery at The Salvation Army said: “Modern slavery remains a low risk, high reward operation for criminals. When we speak to survivors in our care, it’s clear that, before they experienced the support and protection we provide, many felt it was safer to suffer at the hands of their captors than risk speaking to authorities and being treated as a criminal rather than a victim.

“Two key pieces of legislation designed to tackle immigration could be having the unintended consequence of driving modern slavery further underground - The Nationality and Borders Act (2022) and the Illegal Migration Act (2023) which has not been implemented yet due to the change in Government.

“These have created a climate of fear, where people who have experienced modern slavery cannot trust that they will be treated as victims of crime and given the support they need.

“Modern slavery is not an immigration issue; it is a human rights issue. Indeed British people are the second most common group accessing our help. We need to encourage every person exploited in slavery to break free by treating them as genuine victims of crime.

The Salvation Army is calling on the public to help identify and report signs of exploitation and for the government to reassess policies that may be inadvertently pushing victims further into the shadows. If we fail, we risk strengthening the traffickers’ hand and losing our chance to combat this escalating international crime.

The latest figures from The Salvation Army’s annual report released to mark Anti-Slavery Day, show that in the past year, 2,741 potential victims of modern slavery entered their support services. This is 792 fewer people than the previous year, marking a 22% decrease.

Over the last 13 years, The Salvation Army and its partners have supported 24,565 survivors to rebuild their lives, providing medical care, counselling, legal advice, and safe accommodation.

The Salvation Army’s free confidential 24/7 referral helpline 0800 808 3733 is available for anyone who suspects they or someone they have met may be a victim of modern slavery and needs help.

The full Modern Slavery 2024 report and information on how The Salvation Army supports survivors, can be found on our website https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery/modern-slavery-latest-reports