Under what would be section 48A(3), the assistance and support is to be provided unless a determination was made that ‘there are there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the person is a victim of modern slavery’, ‘the person is a victim of modern slavery’ or ‘the person is not a victim of modern slavery.’ The proposed section 48B concerns assistance and support for victims of modern slavery following conclusive determination that the individual is a victim of modern day slavery. The proposed section 48A concerns the provision of assistance and support during the ‘reflection and recovery period.’ The reflection and recovery period is the period of 45 days from the date on which the referral of a potential victim to the National Referral Mechanism (the NRM) was made. The Bill would make two main amendments to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the MSA 2015) that require consideration, namely, assistance to individuals whose victimhood for the purposes of the MSA 2015 is yet to be determined, and assistance to the individuals already determined to be victims of modern day slavery. In response to these failings, Lord McColl of Dulwich, put forward the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill, a Private Members Bill that is due to have its second reading on 8th September 2017. While England and Wales may meet their obligations under Article 4 of the European Convention of Human Rights, they could and should do more for victims, as Northern Ireland and Scotland do. In Northern Ireland and Scotland such support is required by law, in accordance with international standards, for example, the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011. However, the picture is not as bleak everywhere in the United Kingdom. After escaping the offender, they often become homeless and extremely vulnerable to further exploration and abuse. In England and Wales, victims of modern day slavery do not have any automatic entitlement to housing, financial support, or any other practical support that would assist them post-abuse and enslavement. The provision of support to victims is still greatly failing. What is more, even if they are heard, there is no guarantee that they will receive the assistance they need. Victims of modern day slavery struggle to have their voices heard. This includes about 5.5 million children. UNICEF estimates that there are around 21 million people trafficked for modern day slavery across the globe. Nonetheless, such incidents, though appalling, are not even the tip of the iceberg. Some of the victims of modern day slavery have gained media attention, as for example the Yazidi girls and women abducted and enslaved by Daesh from Sinjar, or girls and women abducted and enslaved by Boko Haram. International concern is justified because in the 21st century, there are more victims of slavery than at the time when William Wilberforce fought to end slavery. Modern day slavery is a topic of concern across the world.
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