Thousands of modern slavery victims would be ‘abandoned’ under small boats bill, former watchdog warns

Exclusive: Plans to deport trafficking victims without offering support will stop gangs being caught, experts fear

Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport small boat migrants will see thousands of modern slavery victims “abandoned” as the gangs abusing them go free, a former watchdog has warned.

The Illegal Migration Bill would disqualify trafficking victims who arrive in the UK illegally from receiving support and allow them to be deported while officials are still investigating their claims.

More than 6,000 people have been flagged to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for modern slavery victims since 2018, including 2,700 in 2022 alone. Home Office officials found that 85 per cent had “reasonable grounds” to be accepted as a victim of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour.