Excluded from access, hindering recovery and driving vulnerability: The impact of digital-only proof of status on survivors of trafficking and modern slavery
/New immigration regulations, that force UK migrants to prove their immigration status digitally for the right to work and rent, will be very damaging for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.
The requirement to prove immigration status digitally, with no option for the use of physical documents for many survivors, came into force on 6 April 2022, without consulting those who will be affected by the changes.
This briefing by ATLEU, City Hearts and The Snowdrop Project is informed by our day to day experience of supporting survivors, many of whom do not have any digital proof of status at all. The new rules pose substantial obstacles to survivors that include:
Digital exclusion: Language barriers, poor digital skills, and a lack of access to digital devices and the internet will exclude many survivors from accessing a digital-only system.
Complex systems: Many survivors have struggled to access existing online Home Office systems due to their complexity, even where they have access to a working device and the internet. Telephone lines have not proved helpful in resolving issues. The new system is complex and confusing with misleading information currently displayed.
Creating dependency: Many survivors will not be able to access a digital-only system without the assistance of support workers. Yet, survivors can struggle to access ongoing expert support once they are identified as a victim of modern slavery and state funded support mechanisms are not life-long.
The consequences are serious for the many survivors of trafficking and modern slavery who will not be able to prove their immigration status if no alternative to digital is permitted.
Survivors could be excluded from opportunities to work and rent, setting back their recovery, and risking a return to exploitation or re-trafficking.
It is possible to retain a physical alternative to digital status. For instance, during the pandemic, the presentation of negative lateral flow tests were permitted as an alternative to digital vaccine passports.
In light of this, we urge the government to:
Introduce a legal alternative to digital status: Reinstate the ability for UK migrants to use physical proof of immigration status for the right to work and rent.
Publicly consult with survivors and support organisations on future changes to rules around proving your rights, to ensure that systems created are inclusive of all people that use them, accessible in practice, and work to prevent trafficking and modern slavery.
