Behind the photoseries
The project is co-created by photojournalist Amy Romer,
director of After Exploitation Maya Esslemont, and Global Reporting
Centre Fellow Emma Barnes-Lewis; with support from Business and
Society Professor Andrew Crane, of the University of Bath.
Background
In May 2022, the Nationality and Borders Bill passed through UK
parliament. The law, which contains provisions on nationality, asylum,
immigration and victims of modern slavery, subjects modern slavery
survivors to a stricter determination process and increases their risk
of incarceration in immigration detention, while narrowing pathways
to support. Among the provisions, is a measure dubbed ‘the trauma deadline’ by the charity sector, which penalises survivors for not providing evidence fast enough, and a ban on support for survivors who have received a sentence of twelve months or more, despite more than half of trafficking victims being forced to undertake criminalized activity as a direct result of their trafficking.
This year, restrictions on support were expanded to all victims who did not have leave to enter (permission for entry to) the UK when they first came to the country. In cases where survivors were coerced, forced or deceived into travel, the Government has granted itself powers to disqualify victims from protections under the Illegal Migration Act.
Through featuring the testimonies of five survivors’ and their journey
through formal support, Objective attempts to shed light on the
reality of this new legislation, while envisioning a path towards a more
equitable future for those who have survived modern slavery.
Testimony was shared at a trauma-informed workshop facilitated by Esslemont, Barnes-Lewis and Romer in 2022.
The team would like to thank Glass Arch Studios, Woolwich, and Gallery Café, St. Margaret’s House for their support.
Contact
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Objective Project 