This week a judicial review brought by trafficking survivors detained under the ‘one-in one-out’ UK-France scheme is being heard. The survivors are challenging the blocking of modern slavery appeals and the case touches on barriers to disclosure faced by trafficking survivors which have been documented by the Detention Taskforce, a consortium of expert organisations chaired by Medical Justice.
Government ministers insist that “late” or “last-minute” modern slavery claims are being used to frustrate deportation attempts. This narrative, which is being used to justify changes to modern slavery laws, fails to acknowledge the significant barriers that stand in the way of survivors disclosing their trafficking history at the earliest opportunity while held in immigration detention. Treating “late” disclosures as less credible shows a lack of understanding of the impact of trauma on people who have been trafficked.
In its March 2026 briefing “Barriers to Disclosure: A survivor of trafficking’s journey through the immigration process”, the Detention Taskforce charts the barriers to disclosure that survivors recently detained for removal to France at every stage in their journey face through the immigration process – from their arrival in the UK by small boat and often bewildering screening interview to their arrival and induction at an immigration removal centre. Drawing on Taskforce members’ experience, including Medical Justice’s recent research, the briefing identifies challenges with healthcare screening and clinical safeguards as well as access to legal advice, which are all exacerbated by the nature of the UK-France immigration decision process that is accelerated by design.
The briefing also highlights our serious concerns about the September 2025 change to the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance which removes some people’s right to have a negative decision reconsidered, including those detained for removal under the UK-France deal. This policy change, which has been implemented inconsistently so far with some people receiving a reconsideration and others being refused it, is being challenged in the High Court this week by six trafficking survivors who were detained under the UK-France deal and whose reconsideration requests were refused. As barrister Sam Grodzinski KC told the court: “Victim identification is a process that takes time; it can’t be done speedily, not if it is to be done properly.”
The Detention Taskforce on survivors of trafficking in immigration detention works to build a better system for survivors of trafficking in immigration detention, and ensure no victim of trafficking is further harmed by detention. Chaired by Medical Justice, the Taskforce is comprised of 18 expert organisations working with, or for, victims or survivors of trafficking.
