Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries
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UK’s response to modern slavery has not kept up with the advances of other nations
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee publishes its report: 'The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again'.
- Report: The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again (HTML)
- Report: The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again (PDF)
- Shorthand story: The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again
- Inquiry: The Modern Slavery Act 2015
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee
When the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was passed, it was considered to be a world-leading piece of legislation aiming to “tackle, prevent and disrupt” modern slavery. However, developments worldwide and in the UK in the past nine years have led to the UK falling behind internationally.
Victims require sufficient safeguarding and protection in order to prevent a rise in modern slavery in the UK, but recent immigration legislation has limited the support infrastructure introduced in the Act.
The currently fragmented regulation of the labour market can limit the ability to address the fast-evolving nature of modern slavery. The recent increase in reports of modern slavery in the care sector, for example, had not been anticipated when the Act was passed.
While the Act worked to improve transparency in supply chains, international best practice has moved beyond requiring transparency to requiring companies to perform due diligence on their supply chains, and take action to eradicate modern slavery in their supply chains.
“Tackle, prevent and disrupt” must remain the enduring focus.
Key recommendations
In its report The Modern Slavery Act 2015: becoming world-leading again, the Lords Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee recommends:
- The government’s immigration policy and legislation should recognise and consider the difference between migrants who come to the UK willingly and those who have come because they have been trafficked.
- An arms-length Single Enforcement Body to ensure stronger compliance with relevant labour rights and standards, which should act as a single point of contact for labour exploitation across all sectors.
- Legislation requiring companies meeting the threshold to undertake modern slavery due diligence in their supply chains.
Chair's comments
Chair of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee, Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway, said:
“The prosecution rate for modern slavery is only 1.8%, with the number of victims estimated to be around 130,000 in the UK. This means too many perpetrators are free to profit from victims with impunity. Modern slavery is a hidden crime, which occurs in many areas, including illegal drugs, prostitution, domestic service, agriculture, and the care sector. Investigations and prosecutions can be complex, but there are known ways of improving their success.
“We urge our new government to prioritise protecting modern slavery victims and prosecuting the villains.
“When the Modern Slavery Act was passed in 2015, the UK was said to be world-leading but that is no longer the case. The UK is falling behind other countries and victims are paying the price. This is not acceptable in a decent society. We look forward to receiving the Government’s response to our report and challenge that the UK must become a world leader in the battle against modern slavery once again.”
Further information
Original article link: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/700/modern-slavery-act-2015-committee/news/203272/uks-response-to-modern-slavery-has-not-kept-up-with-the-advances-of-other-nations/
