Damning Report Exposes UK Gov't Failure to Tackle Modern Slavery

The government in the UK does not know how much public money is being spent on tackling modern slavery and wouldn't even know if it was doing a good job because there is no data or strategy behind the Modern Slavery Act, according to a damning report published by the Public Accounts Committee.

"This crime is complex and a piecemeal approach will not cut it," MP Meg Hilliar, chair of the committee said, calling for British government to "get a grip on what works and what doesn't."

"Government cannot hope to target resources in an effective manner until it properly understands the scale and nature of the challenge," Meg Hilliar said.

Victims caught up in human trafficking and modern slavery are left waiting for too long to find out whether they will be indeed treated as a victim of modern slavery. The Home Office does not know what happens to victims once they have gone through the system, or indeed if they have been trafficked again.

READ MORE: 'We Can't Fail Victims' UK Gov't Must Extend Help to Slavery Survivors

"Victims of modern slavery can face unimaginable horrors but the government's good intentions have yet to result in coherent action to help them," Meg Hilliar said.

Written evidence submitted to the committee included a letter from the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) expressing concerns about the increase in unregistered hand car washes [HCWs] operating on garage forecourts.

READ MORE: Reality of Modern Slavery: 'Trafficked to Wash British Cars in Plain Sight'

"There are estimated to be more than 20,000 unregistered HCWs in the UK accounting for over 80 percent of the UK car wash industry by volume, and these car washes are often controlled by gangmasters, in many cases employing modern slaves." The letter says, adding "recent evidence now firmly pointing to HCWs as being rife with criminal gangs which thrive on these very activities."

The government estimates at least 13,000 people are enslaved in the UK, however its feared that number could be the tip of the iceberg.

READ MORE: Family 'Devastated' after Man Lived & Died as a Modern Slave in London

Britain passed the Modern Slavery Act in 2015, the first of its kind in Europe to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery. The Act included a clause compelling businesses to publish what they are doing to eradicate slavery from their supply chains. However, the report by the parliamentary accounts committee suggests business "compliance with supply chains legislation is dismal."

READ MORE: British Businesses Must Do More to Stamp Out Slavery from Supply Chains

However this report suggests the Modern Slavery Act may be enshrined into British law, but the law in Britain falls short in helping victims rebuild their lives, or worse, prevent them from be trafficked and exploited again.