TRAFFICKING victims are unlikely to receive the compensation they are entitled to, a new report has revealed.

Research by After Exploitation, which campaigns against modern slavery, found that in the first six months of last year, 23 victims of trafficking who applied for compensation were turned down by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

Between zero and five were successful, but the precise figure was redacted in data obtained from CICA.

After Exploitation highlights that even if five were successful, this would mean that eight in 10 survivors are turned away. 

International law stipulates that modern slavery survivors are entitled to access compensation schemes for victims of crime.

Of the 133 victims who applied to CICA between January 1 2021 and May 19 2024, one in three went through the complex process without legal representation.

Jamila Duncan-Bosu from legal charity the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Eploitation Unit said that much of the work expected for a successful claim cannot realistically be done without legal representation, as they may need a detailed witness statement, psychological assessments and a medicolegal report.

After Exploitation is calling for legal aid to be consistently available to applicants, and for the removal of CICA restrictions such as bans based on victims’ co-operation with the police, the timing of their application, their nationality or past offences related to victimisation.

Britain’s independent anti-slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons said the fact that victims are not accessing compensation is “horrendous and a clear failing.” 

“They deserve and are entitled to compensation and more must be done to ensure they can access it,” she said.

“This is critical to their recovery, and to preventing re-exploitation that we know can occur when victims have insufficient means to rebuild their lives.”