Opportunities and Obstacles: Ensuring access to compensation for trafficked persons in the UK

Human trafficking is one of the most serious human rights issues in the modern world. As a criminal enterprise, traffickers profit from the abuse and exploitation of women, men and children. It also deprives countless individuals of their basic human rights and freedoms. The high-profit, low-risk nature of the crime, coupled with the inadequate responses and policies of governments, has allowed human trafficking to thrive worldwide. Although there has been an increase in the number of convictions for human trafficking in the UK, legal remedies and compensation for trafficked persons have remained inaccessible. This report identifies the legal remedies available to trafficked persons in England and Wales and analyses the effectiveness of each remedy viewed in light of its accessibility to trafficked persons.