Policy Responses

The Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG) has produced an alternative Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Human Exploitation Bill.

This Bill is intended to assist in the scrutiny and strengthening of the Modern Slavery Bill currently before the Parliament, building on the report published by Frank Field MP in December 2013 and the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill in April 2014. At present, the Modern Slavery Bill lacks the necessary provisions to successfully prevent and prosecute modern slavery offences, and protect the victims of these crimes. The provisions contained within this Bill are those which the ATMG feel are imperative for inclusion in UK anti-slavery legislation to ensure it is robust, comprehensive and world-leading.

On the 21st July 2014 Kalayaan gave oral evidence to the Public Bill Committee which can be found here. There is also a webcast of the meeting here

Kalayaan, together with Justice 4 Domestic Workers, and other experts were called to give oral evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill on 28 Jan 2014.
Main points include the following:

The Bill deals with criminal prosecutions for those who enslave or traffic others. It does not replace the protections which were provided by the original Overseas Domestic Worker visa which did much to prevent domestic workers being exploited.

The Original Overseas Domestic Worker visa should be reinstated as a non legislative measure in the context of the UK’s stated anti slavery commitments.

To allow an option to change employer but to keep migrant domestic workers on a 6 month visa with no option to renew this would make no difference to their current vulnerabilities in practise.

Kalayaan previously gave evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill as part of the Anti Trafficking Monitoring Group (21.01.2014)

You can find a transcript of evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill here

Kalayaan’s written evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill is here.

Kalayaan has concerns that while migrant domestic workers remain tied to their employers the Modern Slavery Bill will never have the effective witnesses it needs to secure criminal prosecutions. Read our statement here.