Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre

NEW RESEARCH! Children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation due to gaps in policies and little recognition of their vulnerability. Opportunities to protect children and young people with SEND from being groomed and exploited in what amounts to modern slavery are being missed by services meant to protect them because of the lack of funding, of little recognition of their vulnerability in the official guidance, and of the strategic approach to prevent it. ➡ Many children are waiting years for recognition of their needs, diagnosis and the right support. ➡ This leads to isolation, segregation within or being excluded from school, and periods of missing, exposing children to greater risks of grooming and exploitation. ➡ Despite the parents’ desperate efforts to get support, this is leading to devasting consequences such as attempts by children to take their own lives and self-harm, enforced house moves and children placed away from home. Many families are living in fear of violence and with intense levels of stress, sometimes leading to family breakdown. The research was carried out by The Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Portsmouth, in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, and funded by the Modern Slavery PEC, which in turn is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Read the full story on our website at https://lnkd.in/es-H9kyD

"I don't think we should just point the finger [at the police] because this is not necessarily all about criminal activities. It might be in the normal economy as, so to speak, where exploitation is happening. So in that case you need to look at the general labour market conditions." Modern Slavery PEC Director of Research Prof Alex Balch on the need to look at wider systems creating conditions for exploitation, as part of the Roundtable debate on TRT World. You can watch the full episode on the TRT Youtube channel: https://lnkd.in/e4gcDwNu

The Human Trafficking Foundation announced the shortlist for their annual Anti-Slavery Day Awards, which celebrate the work done by people to address exploitation and modern slavery. We are happy, excited and proud to see the member of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel Jane Lasonder being nominated in the Empowering Survivor Voices category, well deserved for her work across the board (not just with the Modern Slavery PEC, Jane does so much more!). We are also happy to see Marija Jovanović nominated in the best written opinion piece dealing with modern slavery category for her piece on survivors in UK prisons, based on the research with the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC funding: https://lnkd.in/ejRWSyFA Congratulations to all nominees, the full list is is on the HTF website: https://lnkd.in/e3CGQkxb

NEW BLOG: The road to professionalising lived experience Two members of the Lived Experience Advisory Panel share their experiences and learnings from working with the Modern Slavery PEC, one year on. They touch on: 🔶 addressing power dynamics by the Centre 🔶 trauma informed practice 🔶 challenges of co-production with lived experience experts 🔶 lessons for the PEC to improve in the future.  Read the blog on our website: https://lnkd.in/eWQNnaDK

Our latest research at Shiva Foundation, conducted in collaboration with Wilberforce Institute and West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network, highlights the critical need to integrate cultural competency into support services for modern slavery survivors. This work was made possible through funding from Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). By building trust and making systems more accessible, we can develop key strategies to more effectively combat exploitation. This article offers valuable insights into the need for enhanced approaches to tackle this global issue, providing essential strategies to strengthen our responses. Discover how these strategies can lead to more effective solutions 👇   🔗 https://lnkd.in/d2wUTTdE

New research reveals barriers for the survivors of modern slavery to access support created by a lack of cultural and structural competency in the UK’s response to modern slavery. The research identified the barriers at three levels: 1️⃣ Individual barriers. Survivors of modern slavery face significant barriers such as discrimination, mistrust of authorities, lack of legal knowledge, language barriers and feelings of shame. Cultural competence is crucial in mitigating these challenges and providing effective support. 2️⃣  Organisational and systemic bias. Professional biases, stereotypes, and inflexible systems hinder the early identification and support of potential victims. Promoting culturally competent practices and challenging these biases within organisations can prevent further harm and ensure better service delivery. 3️⃣ Policies and legal framework. Current immigration policies and complex support systems negatively impact survivors. Reforming legislation and making systems more survivor-focused are necessary steps to address structural vulnerabilities and discrimination, ensuring equitable access to support and protection. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewjvYb32 The research was conducted by the Wilberforce Institute in partnership with Shiva Foundation and West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network. It was funded by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC, which in turn is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). 

Artificial Intelligence shows promise in helping to understand survivors' needs at scale and in real time, but it still needs humans to set it up and oversee it, according to the findings of recently published research. Here, you can read THREE short blogs from lived experience experts with their take on the project they took part in: https://lnkd.in/ghPA2GzZ

NEW BLOG! Three lived experience experts reflect on their experiences of working on the project exploring AI’s potential to improve survivor support. 1️⃣ Overcoming Barriers: Applying AI in supporting survivors of modern slavery 2️⃣ Empowerment through technology: my journey with the Mel app 3️⃣ Empowering my journey with the Mel app: a tool for modern slavery survivors Read the three blogs on our website: https://lnkd.in/ghPA2GzZ Thanks to Causeway Charity for working with the Lived Experience Experts on developing the blog.

Today we’re publishing a legal analysis which found that Section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA) is incompatible with the UK’s international obligations on modern slavery. Section 63 of NABA disqualifies from protection people who are potential or confirmed victims of modern slavery on public order grounds – the so-called ‘public order disqualification’, which includes cases where a person is found to be ‘a threat to public order’ or has claimed the victim status ‘in bad faith’. The analysis found that Section 63 of NABA breaches the obligation to identify and protect every victim of modern slavery without discrimination and without exception contained in the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and in the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT). The legal analysis adds to the recent Modern Slavery PEC-funded research recently published by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) indicating that NABA had a ‘profound’ negative impact on the identification of modern slavery survivors. The analysis was commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC and conducted by Dr Marija Jovanovic from the University of Essex. The Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC, hosted by the University of Oxford, is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). 👇 https://lnkd.in/evyYSBf8

Very worrying news that Ake Achi, founder of MIGRANTS AT WORK LTD, received death threats. We stand in solidarity with him, his colleagues at Migrants and Work, and people who come to fill skill shortages in the UK and end up exploited that Ake works to support. https://lnkd.in/eaXpVP6r Ake also authored a report on lived experience leadership in addressing the exploitation of migrants who come to the UK to work on sponsored visas. Read his report here: https://lnkd.in/e6aR9Vnv ...and listen to him talk about it on our podcast: https://lnkd.in/ec2NyasF