(CB):...In their
new plan for immigration, the Government made it clear that they
believe that the threshold for a reasonable grounds decision is
too low, but we are yet to see the evidence of this. Only this
morning, the Salvation
Army which has been a principal adviser to the
Government on these questions—as referred to by the noble Lord,
Lord Coaker—said to me that, according to the most recent set of
NRM statistics published by the Home Office, in the last quarter
of 2021 89% of reasonable grounds decisions and 94% of conclusive
grounds decisions were positive. This begs the question, once
again, of why the Government feel the need to change the
threshold. Their own data makes it overwhelmingly clear that
concerns around individuals abusing the system are absolutely
unfounded.
Many of those on the ground supporting vulnerable people every
day, such as the Salvation
Army believe it is already harder today to get a
positive decision than it was even a year ago. Moreover, many
were already concerned that the NRM underrepresented the true
number of victims, even without the threshold being raised.
Increasing the threshold further would place too high an evidence
burden on victims prior to them receiving specialist advice and
support. This will block victims from accessing trafficking
support. This will include child victims, as we have heard, and
those who were children at the time of being exploited. This
should not be undertaken unless we can prove beyond doubt that
there has been a rise in criminality linked to false referrals to
the NRM. Without that certainty, we risk only harming some of the
most vulnerable in our society and reneging on our responsibility
to support all who suffer...
(CB):...Secondly, why
not listen to the whole modern slavery sector, opposed to the
whole of Part 5, including, as we have already heard,
the Salvation
Army the anti-slavery commissioner, the United
Nations rapporteur and, perhaps most interestingly, Caroline
Haughey QC, who has been advising the Government for many years
on issues of modern slavery? The Government seem unable or
unwilling to listen to a sector that knows what it is talking
about. It really is extremely sad. The sector has been telling
the Government this from the moment that the Bill came on the
stocks...
For context, CLICK HERE
