Unicef UK welcomes news that Modern Slavery Bill to receive Royal Assent
Following the announcement that the Modern Slavery Bill is set to receive Royal Assent and become law Unicef UK Executive Director David Bull said:
"The passing of the Modern Slavery Bill into law is an historic moment in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking. Unicef UK is proud that the UK has committed to stamping out these horrific crimes and, in particular, to protecting vulnerable children.
The Government deserves huge credit for the steps they have taken to ensure all trafficked children will be provided with an advocate with legal powers to protect and support them. This could not have been achieved without the commitment of the Home Secretary and Minister for Modern Slavery and strong cross-party support in parliament, whose efforts have been encouraged and backed up by more than 70,000 Unicef UK supporters.
We welcome the fact that the Act now includes a defence for child victims against prosecution for crimes committed directly as a consequence of their trafficking. However, we believe there is still more work to be done to ensure trafficked children are not at risk of being wrongfully prosecuted and even sentenced for these acts.
Our work does not stop here. It is critical that we keep up the momentum and do all we can to make sure we protect and support children from the danger of trafficking.
However today we can all feel incredibly proud. The Modern Slavery Bill will make a huge difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our society."
