Crackdown on slavery in the UK: Wealthy foreigners face visa bans if they are caught bringing people into Britain for a life of servitude 

  • Officials also want to target British families who bring people from abroad
  • Guilty would not be able to get visas for their spouse or domestic servant
  • Theresa May promised an attack on the ‘barbaric evil’ of modern slavery

Theresa May today unveiled a £33 million crackdown on modern-day slavery

Theresa May today unveiled a £33 million crackdown on modern-day slavery

Wealthy foreigners caught employing domestic slaves in the UK face a visa ban under a determined crackdown on ‘modern slavery’.

Officials also want to target British families who bring in people from abroad under arranged marriages and then subject them to a life of servitude.

Anybody found guilty of one of the offences would never again be able to sponsor a visa to bring a domestic servant or secure a spousal visa ever again to cut the risk of reoffending.

Last month, it emerged that a member of the Saudi Arabian embassy was alleged to have committed the offence of human trafficking into the UK for the purposes of exploitation - specifically domestic servitude.

The crackdown came as Theresa May promised a three pronged attack on the ‘barbaric evil’ of modern slavery.

She said it has created a ‘sickening and inhuman underworld’ in which up to 13,000 people are being kept in servitude.

The new Prime Minister pledged £33million from the controversial aid budget to be spent in high-risk countries from which victims are regularly trafficked to Britain.

Mrs May will also personally chair a new Cabinet task force to drive out the abuse and put pressure on police to treat the issue seriously. Those who are failing to abide by the Modern Slavery Act will face formal investigation.

The PM – who introduced the legislation when she was Home Secretary – said: ‘This is the great human rights issue of our time and I am determined that we will make it a national and international mission to rid our world of this barbaric evil.

‘Just as it was Britain that took a historic stand to ban slavery two centuries ago, so Britain will once again lead the way in defeating modern slavery and preserving the freedoms and values that have defined our country for generations.’

She added: ‘From nail bars and car washes to sheds and rundown caravans, people are enduring experiences that are simply horrifying in their inhumanity.’

One year ago, the Modern Slavery Act – devised by Fiona Hill, who is now the No10 chief of staff - came into force, creating new penalties to jail slave masters and promising life sentences for those convicted of the most serious crimes.

Kevin Hyland (pictured), the country’s anti-slavery commissioner, warned that a previous lack of action against slavery could have led to it becoming a ‘crime of choice’

Kevin Hyland (pictured), the country’s anti-slavery commissioner, warned that a previous lack of action against slavery could have led to it becoming a ‘crime of choice’

An independent review published yesterday by the barrister Caroline Haughey found that progress has been made - with 289 offences prosecuted through the courts in the past year and a 40 per cent rise in the number of victims identified.

But police responses are still too ‘patchy’ - with six of the country’s 43 forces failing to record a single case.

Mrs May has ordered an inspection by Her majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary “to make sure that all police forces treat this crime with the priority it deserves”.

Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania and Poland are the most likely countries of origin for victims, but some are from Britain. In 2013, 90 were UK nationals.

Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania and Poland are the most likely countries of origin for victims (file photo)

Albania, Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania and Poland are the most likely countries of origin for victims (file photo)

Officials say sexual exploitation is the most common form of modern slavery reported in the UK, followed by labour exploitation, forced criminal exploitation and domestic servitude.

The Haughey report said there was a case for changing the law to ensure those found guilty of keeping wives or husbands in servitude – or employing domestic slaves – could not reoffend.

It said the way to tackle this was to change the law so those responsible would never be able to sponsor a visa again.

The report gave the example of ‘where servitude takes place within the family against a background of an arranged marriage’.

It went on: ‘Beyond a restraining order preventing the defendant contacting his wife and her family, there is no order in place under these circumstances that would preclude him from applying for a spousal visa to repeat the offending. Similarly, an employee convicted of servitude would not be prevented from applying for a domestic workers visa and so would be free to continue offending at the conclusion of any custodial sentence.

‘Consideration should be given to creating a Visa order preventing the offender for applying and or sponsoring another person’s entry into the UK and/ or making it mandatory that the defendant disclose the relevant conviction on any sponsoring/ supporting visa application.’

In 2014, the Home Office estimated there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims in the UK - just 2,340 of those were officially reported and recorded.  

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