Slavery laws should be overhauled to stop asylum seekers 'gaming' system to ... trends now
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Anti-slavery laws could be amended to stop asylum seekers from ‘gaming the system’.
The move is recommended in a report to be released today. In its foreword, Home Secretary Suella Braverman says Britons are ‘fed up with the continued flouting’ and ‘abuse’ of immigration rules.
The proposal is to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which was passed to combat trafficking but is suspected of being abused.
The number of asylum seekers falsely claiming to be victims of trafficking to avoid being removed is suspected of fuelling a dramatic rise in claims since the legislation was introduced. Albanians, in particular, are thought to be using the ruse.
Referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the system for identifying potential slavery victims – have skyrocketed in recent years.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman, pictured, says Britons are ‘fed up with the continued flouting’ and ‘abuse’ of immigration rules
In the first three months of this year, the three main agencies concerned with immigration and border control accounted for 45 per cent (1,695) of referrals, up from 33 per cent during the same period in 2019.
Options being considered are tightening the criteria for which claims can be lodged, raising the evidential