ATMG submission on access to justice and effective remedies for survivors of trafficking
/Far more needs to be done to ensure that victims of trafficking get access to justice say the Anti Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG). The ATMG and 10 other organisations, including ATLEU, has gathered evidence on how well the UK has implemented the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The evidence was submitted to the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).
The ATMG is a coalition of 12 UK-based anti-trafficking organisations and is chaired by Anti-Slavery International. The joint submission revealed that a systematic lack of funding for trafficking programmes prevented many survivors from receiving specialist legal advice, and that a tension between the implementation of anti-trafficking and immigration policies has undermined the UK’s ability to identify and support survivors.
At ATLEU, we are particularly concerned about:
The failure of the Legal Aid Agency to collect data on how many victims of trafficking have sought, received or been denied legal aid
Restrictions in the scope of legal aid, especially for victims who are considering whether to enter the NRM
Legal aid ‘deserts’ around the country, especially outside of London
The difficulties EEA nationals experience in receiving immigration advice
The ongoing difficulties providers are experiencing in accessing legal aid for compensation claims.
The full submission can be read here.
