Four of the five rejected human trafficking complaints contested in the UK last year have been quashed, according to recently obtained figures which have raised fears that poor decision-making could put lives at risk.

Of 325 complaints under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) managed by the Interior Ministry that were appealed, 255 were canceled. They represent a significant number compared to the 1,213 trafficking applications rejected in total last year, although the figures cannot be directly compared, as some of the appeals may relate to decisions taken in previous years. There are also fears that some survivors and victims will not appeal because they lack advice on how to do so.

Maya Esslemont, director of the data mapping organization After Exploitation, which obtained the numbers through an access to information request, said: It’s entitled. Delays in providing assistance are not only inconveniences, but life-threatening failures that can leave survivors at risk of destitution, reprisals from traffickers and repeated exploitation.

Anti-Slavery International said the government failed to provide the promised support to victims and survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery prior to entering the NRM, which left them without advice for appeal rejected applications.

“Specialized government-funded support is only available after a positive first-step decision [under the NRM]Said Kate Roberts, UK and EU program manager for the charity. “This means that most people who are wrongly turned down are unlikely to receive help appealing a negative decision. This means they could be left without support and vulnerable to re-trafficking or re-exploitation. “

After Exploitation and Anti-Slavery International warn that the government’s new immigration plan will only make the smuggling claims process more difficult. The plan says there has been “an increase in NRM abuse.” It indicates that NRM references more than doubled between 2017 and 2019, from 5,141 to 10,627, but does not provide any figures on the number of complaints that may have been vexatious.

Esslemont said: “It is vital that the government abandons the plan to make an already hostile trafficking process even more difficult. The new immigration plan must be stopped and a commitment to pre-referral support must be made so that alleged victims can access advocacy throughout the decision-making process.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the use of the figures was “misleading and wrong”.

“In 2020, only 2% of … [all] decisions have been reconsidered, ”they said.

“Our new immigration plan will fix the failing asylum system, ensuring that those who really need protection get the support they need. We will welcome people through safe and legal channels while preventing abuse of the system, cracking down on illegal entry and associated crime. “

The Home Office said some of the successful appeals concerned only specific elements of the complaints – and not entire decisions – being overturned. He did not provide figures on how many cases this applied to.