MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social (@Messlemont)

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MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social @Messlemont Jul 23, 2024

Today, both the Victims' Commissioner for England + Wales and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner spoke out about CICA failings outlined by @AfterExpProject

Survivors are turned away, inconsistently recorded or not told about compensation at all:

afterexploitation.com/wp-content/upl…

AfterExploitation.Bsky.Social @AfterExpProject Jul 23, 2024

🚨Modern slavery survivors are being turned away from compensation

After Exploitation FOIs showed at least 82% of applications (1 Jan 23 - 23 June 24) were refused

@UKAntiSlavery called this "horrendous and a clear failing":

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n… via @Holly_JoyB @Independent
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MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social @Messlemont Oct 2, 2024

I'm a human rights advocate, with a focus on modern slavery. Here's what happened when I asked the @ukhomeoffice for all the information they hold on me...

Buckle up🧵

MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social @Messlemont Aug 21, 2024

This data is the tip of the iceberg.

Survivors forced into criminal activity are often treated as perps 1st, victims 2nd.

Imprisonment is a huge barrier to recovery, and shows how the current criminal justice system simply cannot identify or navigate vulnerability⤵️

sianushka @sianushka Aug 21, 2024

🔴 NEW EXCLUSIVE 🔴
Hundreds of modern slavery victims were in prison in the 15 months leading up to June this year, an exclusive investigation by me @openDemocracy and After Exploitation @Messlemont can reveal...
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MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social @Messlemont Aug 12, 2024

Great to see @BIDdetention challenge a Home Office FOI refusal and win! Important data on emergency travel docs was denied on grounds of international relations, with support of @ICOnews.

Tribunal said there is wider pattern of disengagement with FOIA

freemovement.org.uk/tribunal-order…

MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social @Messlemont Jul 25, 2024

Adding last-min touches to slides for @HumanTraffFdn National Networks Coordinators Forum, and this quote is such a *stand-out* example of why nuanced representation of survivors matters.

"People just think he's causing trouble..."

A mint-coloured speech mark flanks the left-hand side of a quote from someone interviewed as part of After Exploitation's report "A can of worms": Challenges and opportunities in gathering modern slavery evidence. It says:

"Medical professionals are just people listening to the news like everybody else.

Those caricatures [of a survivor]… become problematic when you have a 56-year-old male, homeless, white British, effing and blinding with dental pain in A&E. People just think he’s causing trouble. It doesn’t cross anybody’s mind that he is highly vulnerable to human trafficking."

Bottom-left text: info@afterexploitation.org

MayaEsslemont.Bsky.Social

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