My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 67, 72, 73, 74, 77 and 105, which seek to incorporate into the Bill the international dimension of modern slavery, which is currently missing—as has been highlighted by other noble Lords—although it was highlighted by the Home Secretary in the foreword to the Government’s recently published and very helpful Modern Slavery Strategy. The Home Secretary rightly emphasised that,
“we must step up the fight against modern slavery in this country, and internationally, to put an end to the misery suffered by innocent people around the world”.
The Home Office press announcement regarding the publication of the Bill on 10 June 2014 claimed:
“The Bill reflects the Government’s determination to lead the global fight against modern slavery”.
Modern slavery is, by its very nature, a global issue, which no one Government can tackle alone. This was reflected in another welcome statement by the Home Office in July this year in Modern slavery: How the UK is leading the fight:
“The new Modern Slavery Bill will be amongst the first Acts in the world specifically tackling modern slavery and reflects the Government’s determination that the UK lead the global fight against this evil”.
I was therefore encouraged by the Home Office announcement regarding the Modern Slavery Strategy. It is very positive and states:
“The strategy also underlines the government’s commitment to not only tackle modern slavery in this country but around the world. It sets out ongoing work to tackle international modern slavery crime at source by working with law enforcement, civil society organisations and governments overseas. This will include an annual identification of priority countries, which will include both those from which significant numbers of victims are trafficked to the UK, as well as additional countries that suffer disproportionately from a high incidence of modern slavery, and individually tailored plans for each”.
To see this global dimension featured in the strategy is a very welcome commitment.
However, the Bill as it stands falls far short of these commitments to fulfil an international remit. It currently focuses specifically—and importantly—on various forms of slavery within the UK. Clearly, the very important issue of supply chains addresses an international dimension of exploitation and servitude related to UK-based companies. I strongly support the measures relating to this problem in the Bill and the amendments under discussion in your Lordships’ House to strengthen these provisions. However, apart from these measures, there is currently nothing in the Bill that recognises and begins to address the many other forms of slavery around the world in many different countries. It is therefore important to highlight the scale and scope of the continuation of this barbaric practice.
The International Labour Organization estimates that there are at least 21 million people in slavery in the world today. Other estimates put the figure much higher. Even if we did manage to stop all the trafficking of people into the UK, does this mean that such people would not still be trafficked? We would be likely to have displaced the problem elsewhere. Those people would still be very vulnerable to being trafficked elsewhere or exploited in another form of slavery.
In my humanitarian work with victims of oppression I have personally met many hundreds of victims of modern slavery and heard first-hand the heart-wrenching stories of the anguish of physical torture, humiliation and hopelessness, often lasting for many years. For some, their loved family members are still missing and enslaved. I have met and talked to many hundreds of former slaves from South Sudan and the Nuba mountains abducted into slavery by the Government of Sudan, using slavery as a weapon of ideological warfare. I have heard first-hand the heartbreaking stories of many victims of forced labour and sexual slavery in Burma; children abducted and forced to become child soldiers by the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda; and victims of bonded labour and enforced so-called temple prostitution in India. In this context, I would like to record my deep appreciation of organisations such as the Dalit Freedom Network UK and Anti-Slavery International for their immensely important work, reflected in their comprehensive briefings.
4.15 pm
The global dimension is evident in the causal factors of modern slavery. Poverty, displacement, ideological conflict and war are common root causes, demonstrating
the importance of mainstreaming modern slavery across government departments. Bringing this global dimension within the Bill will rightly promote such mainstreaming.
My amendments seek to introduce feasible and reasonable provisions to enable the UK to try to identify and report on slavery wherever it is found; support organisations seeking to address and provide help for victims of slavery and trafficking; provide the anti-slavery commissioner with information to monitor trends in slavery and human trafficking around the world; and publish an annual report on global slavery. This report could help promote a better understanding of the phenomenon of international slavery and its causes, stimulate appropriate responses, identify best practice, including care for victims, and generate opportunities for co-operation and collaboration.
Amendment 67 introduces the international dimension to the remit of the commissioner. I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy of Cradley, the noble Lord, Lord Judd, and my noble friend Lord Alton for their support for subsequent amendments in this grouping. Amendments 72, 73 and 74 identify the responsibilities of the commissioner with regard to monitoring slavery and human trafficking around the world.
Amendment 72 introduces two new subsections to Clause 41. Subsection (10) provides for the Secretary of State to require United Kingdom embassies and high commissions to submit to the commissioner annual reports on slavery and human trafficking in their area of operation. Subsection (11) sets out aspects to be included in these reports, including the extent and nature of slavery and human trafficking, any legislative and enforcement measures in place, details of any care, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims, any relevant initiatives supported by the United Kingdom and any relevant activities of international bodies or non-governmental organisations.
Amendments 73 and 74 are amendments to Clause 42. Amendment 73 would require the commissioner to include in a strategic plan the areas to be covered by reports from embassies and high commissions and Amendment 74 would require him to include in his report a statement of the nature and extent of slavery and human trafficking in the areas about which he has received information.
Reporting on global slavery will lead to a better understanding of the international scale and scope of this barbaric phenomenon and can help to identify interventions and collaborations to address the problem wherever it persists. It may also enable interventions to prevent people being trafficked to the UK. By contributing to the fight against global slavery, acting as a catalyst to improve survivor care and support and focusing on preventive initiatives, the Bill can begin to establish a truly world-leading standard.
Clearly we also have much to learn from others around the world. This is why one of the main purposes in reporting on global slavery would be to identify and share best practice. It will take a collaborative approach internationally if we are ever to have any hope of stopping the traffickers, preventing slavery and providing high-quality care and support for survivors.
In practical terms, it is important to emphasise that the commissioner naturally would be required not to travel abroad to undertake investigations and assessments
but to work with embassies, high commissions, civil society organisations and NGOs on the ground to collect evidence to inform good practice and recommendations for effective measures for prevention and protection.
Amendment 77 to Clause 43 specifies that for the purposes of this section a “specified public authority” shall also include all embassies and high commissions of the United Kingdom. Finally, Amendment 105 seeks to enshrine the global dimension of this Bill in the title by inserting the key words,
“in the United Kingdom and internationally”.
Of course, it is entirely right that the main focus of this Bill is on modern slavery and human trafficking in the United Kingdom, especially with the Home Office estimating that there are up to 13,000 victims in this country. However, I believe that failure to address the global issue substantively is a massive oversight. It would undermine our efforts to end slavery in the UK and make a mockery of any claim to be world leaders in the fight against modern slavery. For example, the Home Office booklet announcing the Bill was entitled Modern Slavery: How the United Kingdom is Leading the Fight. To be world leading is a noble aspiration, but failing to address the global dimension of modern slavery would inherently disqualify the UK from any claim to this role. Countries in Europe and in the Commonwealth are watching and waiting to see what the United Kingdom will do with the Bill. These amendments aim to ensure that this country will show real leadership, here and abroad.
In an article published earlier this year on the Guardian website, dedicated to modern slavery, Dr Aidan McQuade, the director of Anti-Slavery International, said:
“The struggle to end slavery will not be achieved merely by warm words and sentiment. It requires hard political action to confront the vested interests of national governments and business elites who benefit from the systemic use of slavery in the contemporary world. How the UK and other governments comport themselves in the coming weeks will be a critical test of how serious they are”.
Finally, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi recently said:
“In this stage of history we have the largest number of slaves in the world … Denial of childhood and denial of freedom are the biggest sins which humankind has been committing and perpetrating for ages”.
I therefore passionately hope that the Minister will take heed of this call from someone who has given his life to freeing tens of thousands of children from slavery and will give a favourable response to these amendments so that they, or similar amendments in his own wording, can be included in this immensely important Bill, which could be a significant weapon in helping to eradicate the barbaric phenomenon of modern slavery from across the face of the earth.