The criminalisation of human trafficking victims in the UK

This project will consider the plight of people who have been trafficked to the UK and are criminalised for acts related to their trafficking, often leading to deportation and possible refoulement. There shall be particular focus on section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act ('MSA'). Mixed doctrinal and empirical analysis will be involved, including studies of individual case papers as well as Ministry of Justice statistics. The project will assess whether the current legal framework for protecting trafficking victims from criminalisation is sufficient and adequately accounts for individual vulnerabilities.