Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that potential victims of modern slavery are aware of the free legal assistance that they are entitled to from the Ministry of Justice.

The Government provides publicly-funded immigration legal advice to individuals identified as potential victims of modern slavery. In addition to this, advice is also available for victims of modern slavery who wish to make a claim under employment law or make a claim for damages in relation to their exploitation. These provisions are subject to statutory tests of means and merits.

The Home Office recently published a leaflet on immigration options for victims of modern slavery. The leaflet explains that, if you are accepted as a potential victim of modern slavery by the National Referral Mechanism, you are entitled to legal aid to discuss your immigration options. Further details can be found on the gov.uk website:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/642112/help_for_adult_victims_of_modern_slavery.pdf