Maya Esslemont (they/them)

Few modern slavery survivors get counselling. They have to face their trauma alone

After Exploitation found just 4% of modern slavery and trafficking survivors can access counselling through Home Office contracts.

Only 4% of adults referred as victims of modern slavery get counselling through the Home Office-funded scheme for survivors.

In theory, survivors can get counselling via the NHS, but many are dismissed or face long delays:

afterexploitation.com/2025/06/11/m...

#UK #politics #news #uknews

Mimi Jalmasco speaking at the joint #SurvivorFutures webinar w/ VODW, @ilpaimmigration.bsky.social @kalayaan.org.uk @kingsartshums.bsky.social:

"The best way to prevent re-trafficking of migrant domestic workers is reinstating our visa rights. The right to change employers and have real protection"

"Emphasis on one ‘type’ of victim stops survivors coming forward"

After Exploitation commissioned mental health advocate and survivor, Kate Elysia, to work with an artist illustrating her perspectives on exploitation.

Read the interview with Kate here ⤵️

afterexploitation.com/2025/05/23/b...

Maya really is so good at FOIs, I cannot recommend this workshop enough

LAG Housing Conditions Update Webinar Catherine O'Donnell will present this Housing Conditions update based on her annual update in Legal Action magazine.

📢 Last call for our Housing Conditions update webinar tomorrow with Catherine O'Donnell of @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social

🗓️ 20th March, 17:30-18:30

📒 Attendees will receive Catherine's 2-part annual Housing Conditions update from Legal Action magazine

👉 Register at tinyurl.com/Housing-Cond...

Trafficking survivors need legal status to rebuild their lives after #sextrafficking or #forcedlabor. We are concerned that the processing time for T Visas — visas for #traffickingsurvivors — is now 20 months. We call on USCIS to bring down processing times. egov.uscis.gov/processing-t...

A day in the life of an asylum hotel: inside the UK’s most controversial accommodation The media often stigmatises asylum hotels – and they are sometimes physically attacked too. But behind closed doors are people who dream of work, wheels, security and the simple freedom to choose what...

“All the people here, everyone is suffering.” A day in the life of an asylum hotel.

Great news 👏 Hopefully others follow suit

When it comes to sexual exploitation, words matter.

Definitions should not be gate kept to deny survivors support, or weaponised to criminalise sex workers.

I'm speaking at the @freedomunitedhq.bsky.social webinar today, 4pm⬇️

www.freedomunited.org/laws-to-address-sex-trafficking/
#modernslavery

Add your name 📢 Cuts to disability benefits would be catastrophic

Petition from the disability charity Scope. "Life costs more when you’re disabled. Almost half of families in poverty now include someone who’s disabled."

Add your name to stop these dangerous cuts: campaigns.scope.org.uk/page/165719/...

Lilac, sans serif text on a white background: "RECOGNISING SURVIVORS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY". In the top right-hand corner, a white version fo the After Exploitation logo - a hand-drawn rising sun flanked by the words 'After Exploitation' - is in a black circle.

Background: Black and white newspaper-print style image of a woman with long black hair looking to her side. Text on white box in centre of the image: Survivors still face disbelief. Under the Nationality and Borders Act, survivors now have to provide more evidence sooner in order to get basic forms of support. Other survivors are barred from help because of their immigration status or offending history. Even worse, new Home Office guidance says sexual exploitation is ‘less likely’ to have happened if there aren’t multiple perpetrators or victims involved. Reversing these measures alone could uphold the rights of thousands of women and girls currently at risk of slipping through the net after modern slavery.

Background: Black and white newspaper-print style image of a teacher tied back hair and round circular glasses writing words on a whiteboard. Text on white box in centre of the image: LANGUAGE MATTERS Women and girls can be exploited in any industry, just as men and boys may can be victims of sexual exploitation. Avoiding stereotypes helps us to improve understanding of the complexity of exploitation and ensure all of us - including professionals and survivors themselves - can recognise it. It is important not to conflate sexual exploitation with all sex work, as these are not the same and both groups have needs specific to their experiences.

Background: Black and white newspaper-print style image of a white woman with blonde hair speaking into a megaphone alongside a taller black woman with afro hair in dungarees, chanting at a protest. Text on white box in centre of the image: Woman survivors are a force for change. In our experience, many are exposing injustice and pushing for survivor inclusion in campaigns and political life. Yet, immigration restrictions and criminalisation prevent many survivors from working in the very sectors trying to represent them.

This #InternationalWomensDay, we're celebrating the contributions of survivor women, and calling for an end to the disbelief, lottery of support, misinformation, and barriers to work they still face.

Read our full statement here:

afterexploitation.com/2025/03/08/i...

#AcceleratedAction #IWD2025

Sex work and sexual exploitation mean different things. Conflating these terms makes it harder for professionals to understand the distinct needs of both groups.
Read our explainer piece alongside @laurenmedlicott.bsky.social's powerful article here: www.bigissue.com/opinion/sexu...

Spokesperson Leadership Programme • sounddelivery media Sounddelivery Media’s unique leadership programme aims to diversify the voices we hear in the media and make it more representative of the society we live in. This programme tackles the barriers that ...

In every community there are people with lived experience of social injustice using their expertise to identify solutions for change.

@sounddeliverymedia.bsky.social Spokesperson Programme will support 14 leaders to create change in their communities.

www.sounddelivery.org.uk/spokesperson...

Jaysley Beck’s death confirms our findings on abuse in army For over a year, openDemocracy has worked to reveal how military enables abuse then closes ranks around perpetrators

For over a year, I’ve been looking at sexual abuse in the military - sadly the inquest into Beck’s suicide was shocking but not surprising. With @ethanshone.bsky.social for @opendemocracy.net edited by @indrawarnes.bsky.social

www.opendemocracy.net/en/jaysley-b...

I’ve been trying to report this story for ages but the data is impossible to get as the MoJ does not record how many women are held in prison on solely mental health grounds. Which is a big problem.

A photo of the NYTimes open on a wood table. It’s a full page ad. The text reads Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say NO to ethnic cleansing! And then lists 350 names

350 Rabbis took out a full page ad in the NYTimes today opposing Trump’s plan for Palestine and calling it ethnic cleansing.

Headline says '🚨 The government just banned people who have been granted refugee status from ever becoming British citizens 🚨'. In the background there's a picture of Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper. They look very serious and unapproachable and the wall behind them has the colours of Union Jack.

Don't think this doesn't concern you.

This anti-immigrant government is targeting "refugees" now - our neighbours, friends and community members. Who is next? The eVisa rollout is already making it more difficult for people with EU passports to get back in the country. We're in the same fight.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day 💕

This year make it really count by asking your MP to support a fair new plan for refugees.

With the new Border Security Bill your action could not be more important.

Send a customised email in just two ticks!👇
actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-...

Alt text: Refugees who made “dangerous journeys” could be blocked from UK citizenship. The good character requirement was updated on 10 Feb to block some refugees from naturalising as British citizens if their entry to the UK was criminalised.

We are really concerned with the updates made to the Home Office’s 'good character' guidance, which could block #refugees who made dangerous journeys from UK #citizenship. These changes could punish refugees for having taken the only route available to them...
https://buff.ly/40YyWpz

Also it depends on the condition they're stored in - moisture, temperature etc - but I've bought films from vinted, jumble sales, Ebay and they've yielded lots of different results despite probably not being refrigerated for a number of years. It's been an interesting experience!

Oo exciting! I'd be interested in how they turn out. I've never shot with anything from the 80s but 90s film has been fine for me. Sometimes the film becomes grainy so people do overexpose it a bit to try and mitigate. Sometimes you get cool colour shifts, which I love, but it's not for everyone!

A floating buoy with a plastic cross reading 'DANGER OYSTER TRESTLES' rests against a wooden slatted hut, slanting to the right. The film has colour shifted to hues of blue, pink and yellow due to processing and the film's age

Photograph is set against a sky with strongly defined clouds in a greyish hue. Set against the sky is the silhouette of a crow sitting on the top of an old mast shaped like a cross. The foreground is a blurred set of yellowed hedges.

Calling #photography / #photographer Blueskiers! Do you film photography? Please make yourselves known 📣 I'd like to follow some good people and build a network away from Instagram...

📸Shot on film last year (Left: TruPrint film, expired 1992. Right: Tudor film, expired 1995):

Now more than ever, we need this statement on grooming narratives.

Today, we are joined by 70+ survivors, academics, charities and experts on exploitation calling an end to damaging stereotypes and the start of real support for victims and survivors:

afterexploitation.com/2025/01/15/j...

A graphic has a screenshot of the media article with the headline: "UK to refuse citizenship to refugees who have ‘made a dangerous journey". We've written text above it saying "Reverse this cruel decision".

This decision is appalling and cruel. The government must reverse it.

It ignores reality - there are no safe routes for most people who need protection.

Home Office evaluation of GPS tagging pilot shows no impact on compliance - Free Movement The Home Office has published its evaluation of the pilot scheme expanding the use of electronic monitoring of people as a condition of their immigration bail.

In case you missed it: Home Office evaluation of GPS tagging pilot shows no impact on compliance | Sonia Lenegan https://freemovement.org.uk/home-office-evaluation-of-gps-tagging-pilot-shows-no-impact-on-compliance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=home-office-evaluation-of-gps-tagging-pi…

We're looking for a freelancer to help us! Could it be you?

You'll play a vital role in helping After Exploitation highlight injustice facing survivors of exploitation, by supporting our investigations, research and campaigns.

Deadline 27th December 2024:

afterexploitation.com/2024/12/06/o...

Report: Inconsistent and insensitive training on modern slavery offered by local councils 10th December 2024 – A new report by After Exploitation, UK BME Anti-Slavery Network (BASNET) and AFRUCA has found that modern slavery training offered to local council staff, in England, is …

Not all local councils train staff to understand modern slavery, despite a legal duty to identify victims.

Our briefing with UK BME Anti-Slavery Network, out today, outlines how some local council training materials are also out-of-date or rely on stereotypes

afterexploitation.com/2024/12/09/r...

All graphics use black sans serif block font against a background image of pink crumpled paper. Text: Why is it dangerous to call all sex work ‘modern slavery’? Modern slavery, including trafficking, is a serious and complex crime. Survivors have support needs and rights which are specific to what they have gone through. Professionals need to be aware of the differences between sex work and modern slavery, in order to provide appropriate support to both groups.

READ THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND SEX WORK FACT SHEET. All logos are included at the bottom: After Exploitation, Anti Slavery International, Decrim Now, English Collective of Prostitutes, Freedom United and UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science.

Too often, sex workers are branded en masse as 'victims of sexual exploitation'.

Sexual exploitation is a complex issue. Using the term wrongly has a real-world impact on survivors.

Our joint briefing here:
afterexploitation.com/wp-content/u...

@anti-slavery.bsky.social @drellac.bsky.social