More women pushed into modern slavery and sexual exploitation due to UK ban
Across the UK, women fleeing violence, forced marriage, exploitation, and persecution are being retraumatized by the very systems meant to protect them. Instead of receiving support and safety, restrictive immigration policies are forcing women into modern slavery—including coerced sex work and exploitative labor—just to survive.
Exploitation by the UK work ban
A new report by Women for Refugees found 10% of asylum-seeking women in the UK had been forced into sex work. Additionally, nearly 40% of asylum-seeking women entered abusive and exploitative situations due to poverty and dependence. Tragically, a woman reported experiencing homelessness, exploitation, and forced sex work during her asylum journey. She explained in an interview for the report that this was all so she could have a place to sleep.
The UK Home Office’s near-total ban on employment for asylum seekers directly causes these outcomes. Despite fleeing gender-based violence in their home countries, many women cannot work for months or even years while the government processes their asylum claims. In the meantime, they must make do with as little as £8.86 per week in hotels. Nearly half of the women reported being unable to afford sanitary products, and 80% were unable to pay for clothes, transport, or means of communication.
By contrast, asylum seekers in the United States—despite facing numerous systemic barriers—can apply for a work permit after 150 days. This at least provides a legal route to earn an income and avoid total dependence. In the UK, no such pathway exists for most asylum seekers, further compounding their vulnerability.
As stated by Andrea Vukovic, the co-director of Women for Refugee women in The Guardian,
“As troubling as our findings are, it should come as no surprise to policymakers that vulnerable women, when forced into poverty and barred from working to support themselves, are pushed into exploitative and unsafe situations.”
The Guardian also reports that the charity urges the UK government to allow asylum seekers to work while awaiting their claim decision to reduce exploitation risk due to lack of money.