Sadiq Khan funds new London project to help migrants ‘securely’ report abuse as part of £1.1m investment

Sadiq Khan has funded a new London project aimed at helping migrants “securely” report abuse as part of a wider £1.1 investment.

The project intends to enable migrants with “insecure” immigration statuses to report abuse and exploitation to the police without fear of their personal details being passed on to the Home Office.

The two year research programme has been given £50,000 in funding from Khan and will be led by the charity Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX).

The “secure reporting scheme” forms part of a wider £1.1m City Hall investment in projects supporting refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in the city.

It comes after Khan promised in his re-election manifesto earlier this year to “continue to stand up for migrant workers’ rights and protect them from exploitation”.

Speaking to the Standard, Peter Wieltschnig from FLEX said: “This pilot is a significant and courageous step forward in making sure that all Londoners are able to safely report abuse and exploitation, regardless of their immigration status.

“Across the world, there’s a growing recognition of how exploiters are using immigration policies as a tool to traffic people.”

He added that the project was of further importance at a time when migrant groups are facing “successive anti-migrant policies and legislation.”

Research commissioned by City Hall last year found that a large number of migrant workers in London were being subjected to harassment and discrimination and experiencing issues with their pay.

Women migrant workers also frequently experience sexual harassment, according to the report.

FLEX has said the new research will attempt to gain a “better understanding of the barriers that victims face in reporting and engaging with first responders/services in London and identify what is needed to overcome these”.

Debbie Weekes-Bernard, London’s deputy mayor for communities and social justice, said: “Migrant workers and survivors of abuse, exploitation and modern slavery are among the most vulnerable people in our city.”

“There is strong evidence showing that migrant Londoners, including women and girls who are victims of violence, need better access to justice and safety.”

“That’s why the mayor’s wide-ranging programme includes a new secure reporting pilot to help those most in need, as part of action to support abuse survivors and tackle exploitation and modern slavery.”

FLEX has said they hope to receive another mayoral grant in the next financial year.