Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to provide safeguarding processes for (a) victims of modern slavery and (b) other vulnerable adults arriving in the UK.

Protecting the vulnerable and tackling MSHT is a top priority for Border Force. As First Responders, frontline Border Force Officers play a key role in identifying both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking as they seek to cross the UK border. Border Force work to prevent exploitation from happening, to safeguard and protect vulnerable persons and in collaboration with other law enforcement colleagues seek to bring to justice those who commit MSHT crime. All frontline Border Force officers are trained to spot the signs of MSHT and make necessary safeguarding referrals. Border Force also has a cadre of over 500 specialist Safeguarding & Modern Slavery (SAMS) officers.

All Border Force safeguarding and Modern Slavery training is reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to fulfil those ICIBI (Independent Chief Inspector for Borders & Immigration) and IASC (Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner) expectations which the Home Office has accepted.