Government needs to follow through on promises to help victims of modern slavery

Ahead of Anti-Slavery Day, 18 October, former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and recently appointed Senior Advisor to the Santa Marta Group, Kevin Hyland OBE, has called for the government to deliver on promises made to victims of modern slavery. Speaking of the founding legislation – the 2015 Modern Slavery Act – Mr Hyland explained that it can only be seen as truly victim-centred if properly enacted: “The legislation is not achieving what we all hoped it would. We may have world-leading legislation, but do we have leading implementation that helps people? “If we support people right then the chances of catching criminals are greatly increased because they will trust us, and other people are more likely to come forward.” The Santa Marta Group, set up at the behest of Pope Francis, is an international alliance of Catholic Church and law enforcement officials with over 130 Church and Law Enforcement leaders across 35 countries. It works to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking.