We applaud Sir Mo Farah for his courage in sharing his experience of being a survivor of child trafficking and shining a much-needed light on this vital issue. Tragically this experience highlights the harm caused to tens of thousands of men, women and children in the UK who are exploited and subjected to human trafficking or slavery and the nature of child abuse and these serious crimes.

This is why we have signed a joint statement with colleagues working to prevent and address trafficking calling on the the government to strengthen our identification and support systems, to make sure that they work for victims in practice. The UK must commit to guaranteed support for survivors making the difficult decision to come forward about their abuse. We must urgently implement secure reporting systems to encourage those still in a trafficking situation to know they can access justice without their data being shared with immigration enforcement; end the substantial delays in decision making that leave victims in limbo, without the right study, work or confidence to rebuild their lives. We must ensure access to key entitlements such as child protection and care, specialist legal advice and medical support as well as support to access education and employment to enable recovery.