The UK’s referral system for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery could be damaging people’s asylum claims. Referrals not only delay the asylum claim process, but mistrust of asylum seekers whose referral claims are rejected, or who refuse to be referred in the first place, can also negatively impact asylum claims.
Government mistrust of asylum seekers is no secret. That scepticism bleeds into the modern slavery support system. Politicians, especially the Tory home ministers of the last several governments, have repeatedly claimed that the UK’s modern slavery system is being abused by irregular migrants.
In 2021, for example, the former home secretary, Priti Patel, claimed that “child rapists, people who pose a threat to our national security, serious criminals and failed asylum seekers” were taking advantage of the modern slavery system. She said people were “posing as victims in order to prevent their removal” and to “enable them [to] stay in the country”.
