Charity briefing on the concerning Clause 59 of The Nationality and Borders Bill

Amending the bill

The House of Lords is going to be discussing a vital amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill. Charities ECPAT, Anti-Slavery International, and Salvation Army developed the amendment, which has the support of Missing People and many other charities.

The amendment relates to Clause 59 of the bill, which raises the threshold for identifying victims of modern slavery. As it stands, the clause will:

• place too high an evidence burden on victims, before they can receive advice and support,
• block victims from accessing support, including children and those who were children when they were exploited.

The amendment proposes putting a fair and clear definition of the threshold in the bill. Victims will thus have access to the support they need.

Read the briefing

A briefing created by the supportive charities outlines the need for this amendment. If you want to read the full briefing, click below.

Without this amendment, we are seriously concerned that more vulnerable asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children will go missing. Moreover, victims of modern slavery who have been missing will not receive the support they need and deserve.