Safety of Rwanda Bill: Contrary to the rule of law and an abuse of Parliament’s role
ATLEU joins over 90 civil society organisations condemning the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill as contrary to the rule of law and an abuse of Parliament’s role.
Working in the crossfire: New report exposes challenges faced by lawyers representing survivors
Anti-trafficking lawyers are facing huge challenges that impact on their mental wellbeing and the ability of survivors to access justice for the harms they have suffered, according to a new report, Working in the crossfire by Dr Samantha Currie.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme continues to fail survivors of trafficking and modern slavery
ATLEU has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s latest consultation on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Although the Scheme was amended in 2012 to explicitly include survivors of trafficking, few are able to access the Scheme and fewer still are able to obtain compensation.
Government finally lays legislation to scrap the Family Worker Exemption
Five months after ATLEU’s success at the Employment Appeal Tribunal, which confirmed the unlawfulness of the ‘Family Worker Exemption’, and following sustained coalition campaigning with partners, the government has finally taken measures to implement its March 2022 commitment to scrap the Exemption from National Minimum Wage regulations.
ATLAW training programme for lawyers launches in November
ATLEU is delighted to announce that it will be running ATLAW, its online anti trafficking training and mentoring programme for lawyers, from November 2023 to March 2024.
Compensating survivors, punishing traffickers: The need for a civil remedy of trafficking and modern slavery
Access to compensation is a vital component of criminal justice and redress and recovery for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.
ATLEU’s response to the National Audit Office consultation on legal aid
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) has had a devastating impact on the legal aid sector. It removed many social welfare matters from the scope of legal aid, thus delaying access for many other matters until crisis point.
Joint civil society statement on the passage of the Illegal Migration Act, July 2023
As a coalition of 290 organisations representing the human rights, migrants’ rights, refugee and asylum, anti-trafficking, children’s, violence against women and girls, LGBTQI+, disability rights, health, housing, racial justice, criminal justice, arts, international development, environment, democracy, pan-equality, faith, access to justice, and other sectors, we condemn the passage of the Illegal Migration Act today, and stand in solidarity with all who will be affected.
Anti-trafficking organisations unite to call on MPs to mitigate the worst effects of the Illegal Migration Bill
The ‘Illegal’ Migration Bill is a charter for exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery. It will:
Dismantle the UK’s systems of trafficking and modern slavery protection
Deny protection to victims of this crime
Drive trafficking and enable perpetrators to act with impunity.
Coalition calls for the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ to be scrapped and urges Parliamentarians to support Amendment 5 to mitigate its worst effects
The Illegal Migration Bill poses a singular and catastrophic threat, not only to the rights of migrants, including refugees and survivors of trafficking and modern slavery, but to the rule of law, the UK's continued ability to comply with its international obligations, and its very ability to provide international protection.
Destroying lives; the UK’s rhetoric, legislation and policies demonise people seeking safety including victims of trafficking
The ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ creates the conditions for exploitation by criminalising people and denying them even the hope of safety. If the bill passes in its current form people who have been trafficked to the UK will be barred from protections due to the way they entered the UK, even if they were brought in against their will.
Unlawfulness of the Family Worker Exemption upheld
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has again confirmed that the family worker exemption is unlawful. Under the exemption live in domestic workers who are treated as a member of the family, are not entitled in law to receive the national minimum wage, or any salary at all. In practice it is relied on regularly in situations of exploitation including human trafficking.
