To ask the Minister of Justice to detail their role in working with the UK Home Office to ensure that human trafficking victims who end up in Northern Ireland are supported adequately and not subject to exploitation.

Individuals arriving in Northern Ireland who are identified as potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking (MSHT) are referred for support via the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in the first instance by an authorised First Responder Organisation including: UK Visas and Immigration; Border Force; Immigration Enforcement; Police Service of Northern Ireland; Health and Social Care Trusts; and Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid. The NRM is administrated by the Home Office and is the UK wide mechanism for identifying and protecting victims of MSHT and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Once referred, adult victims/potential victims will receive support from one of the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) contracted support providers. Support for child victims is the responsibility of the Department of Health.

Support for victims/potential victims is supplied on the basis of individual need and can include, among other things: accommodation; living expenses; access to health and social care; and counselling. The support contracts with Belfast Lisburn Women’s Aid (BLWA) and Migrant Help (MH) were renewed in 2023 following a tender process. MH provide support to male victims and their families and BLWA to female victims and their families. The victims supported through the DoJ support contracts have suffered major traumas in their lives, the support provided by BLWA and MH helps them deal with the trauma, empowers them and their families to recover and thrive in NI and helps protect them from further exploitation.