The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC) has commissioned a new project examining ways to improve access to compensation for survivors of modern slavery, led by the University of Hull and After Exploitation.
Survivors of modern slavery in the UK are legally entitled to compensation, yet recent evidence shows that very few of them can access it. Between 2021 and 2024 more than 51,193 modern slavery cases were reported to the Home Office, but only 133 trafficking survivors were recorded as applying to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Of the small number of CICA claims made, most are refused. This project therefore sets out to understand why access to compensation remains so limited; and what a better-functioning, survivor‑centred system could look like.
This work is being co-led by Simon Green (University of Hull) and Maya Esslemont (After Exploitation), in collaboration with the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre. The team will analyse survivors’ access to compensation and assess the quality and integrity of available data on claims and outcomes across the UK’s devolved jurisdictions.
The team will conduct a focused evidence review alongside interviews and discussions with survivors and relevant practitioners like lawyers, support workers, and police. Their findings will be accompanied by implementable recommendations designed to strengthen access to compensation, improve survivor outcomes, and enhance the role of compensation in preventing re‑trafficking.
Project team: Maya Esslemont (After Exploitation) and Simon Green (University of Hull), with support from the Modern Slavery PEC Research and Policy Impact Teams
The project is commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre.
