UK’s modern slavery system has become a cruel joke: Nearly 6,000 trafficking victims rejected government support last year, fearing deportation more than their traffickers.
At a Glance
- Nearly 6,000 human trafficking victims rejected UK government support in 2024, primarily fearing deportation
- The National Referral Mechanism has a massive backlog, taking an average of 831 days to process cases
- Only 2% of victims see their traffickers prosecuted, with potentially more victims than perpetrators in prison
- Olympic champion Mo Farah’s revelation of being trafficked as a child highlighted systemic failures
- UK’s “hostile environment” immigration policies are actively undermining anti-trafficking efforts
When Victims Fear the Government More Than Traffickers
In what world does a human trafficking victim fear the government more than their trafficker? Welcome to the United Kingdom, where the government’s own data shows nearly 6,000 trafficking victims rejected support from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) last year. Let that sink in. These aren’t people declining extra vacation days or turning down a free coffee. These are traumatized victims of modern slavery saying “no thanks” to their supposed rescuers because they’re terrified of being deported back to countries where they face re-trafficking or worse.
This fear isn’t irrational. Thousands of trafficking victims from Albania and Vietnam have already been returned to their home countries, some “voluntarily” (if you can call it that when the alternative is detention) and others forcibly deported. Many have been re-trafficked after returning – thrown right back into the lion’s den by the very system that claims to protect them.
A System Designed to Fail
The UK’s approach to trafficking victims makes about as much sense as using a sieve to bail water. NRM referrals skyrocketed to over 19,000 last year, while the system takes an astonishing 831 days on average to process a single case. That’s more than two years where victims exist in limbo, unable to work legally, access proper housing, or rebuild their lives. It’s a bureaucratic black hole that swallows hope and spits out despair.
Meanwhile, the government proudly announces they’ve hired 100 new staff to clear this backlog – with a target date of December 2026. Yes, you read that correctly. Their ambitious plan is to fix this crisis in another two and a half years. I’m sure trafficking victims can just put their trauma and basic needs on hold until then, right? The incompetence would be laughable if it weren’t destroying real lives.
“I think it’s incredibly brave [to speak out], because we do live in a hostile environment where the issues of trafficking and smuggling and illegal immigration all get conflated.” said Kate Garbers.
The Mo Farah Exception
When Olympic champion Mo Farah courageously revealed he was trafficked to Britain as a child and forced into domestic servitude, the Home Office quickly announced no action would be taken against him. How generous! Of course, not everyone has four Olympic gold medals to shield them from bureaucratic cruelty. Farah’s revelation laid bare the ugly truth behind Britain’s immigration policies – they’re designed to punish vulnerability rather than protect it.
Farah’s original name was Hussein Abdi Kahin, born in Somaliland. He was brought to the UK under a false identity and forced to work as a domestic servant. His athletic talent became his lifeline – a privilege the vast majority of trafficking victims will never have. For every Mo Farah whose story ends in citizenship and celebration, thousands of others face detention centers and deportation flights.
“The real story is, I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin” said Mo Farah.
Criminals Walk Free While Victims Suffer
Here’s the most infuriating statistic of all: only 2% of trafficking victims ever see their abusers prosecuted. Two percent! At the same time, many victims end up criminalized themselves for offenses they were forced to commit. There are potentially more trafficking victims in British prisons than the criminals who trafficked them. This isn’t just a failure of justice – it’s justice turned completely upside down.
Only 133 out of 51,193 modern slavery cases reported to the Home Office even applied for compensation. Why so few? Because the system is deliberately designed to be impenetrable. The UK’s “hostile environment” strategy, launched in 2012, treats every migrant as suspicious and every asylum claim as potentially fraudulent. This paranoid approach has created a “culture of distrust” where trafficking victims must prove their victimhood to skeptical authorities who seem more interested in deportation targets than human rights.
“Any child identified as a potential victim of modern slavery or who seeks protection in the UK, will have their case carefully considered and will be given the support they need.” – Home Office spokesperson.
The above statement from the Home Office would be more believable if it wasn’t contradicted by their own policies and actions. The Nationality and Borders Act actually criminalizes asylum seekers who arrive without documentation – exactly the situation most trafficking victims find themselves in. It’s like setting a house on fire and then claiming you’re committed to fire safety. This isn’t incompetence; it’s deliberate cruelty disguised as bureaucracy. And it’s happening right under our noses while the government wraps itself in the flag of anti-trafficking rhetoric.
