Helping survivors move from exploitation and homelessness to safety. 🤍
Every year, people experiencing homelessness come to The Passage after surviving trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude and other forms of modern slavery.
Many have nowhere safe to stay. Some have been exploited for years. Others face becoming homeless after escaping exploitation.
In 2025-26, our specialist Modern Slavery Service helped survivors find safety, secure accommodation and begin rebuilding their lives.
The challenge
Many survivors of modern slavery face homelessness once they escape exploitation. Without specialist support, they can struggle to:
- Find somewhere safe to live
- Access healthcare and legal advice
- Report exploitation
- Understand their rights
- Rebuild their confidence and independence
That’s where our Modern Slavery Service steps in.
What is The Passage’s Modern Slavery Service?
The Passage works to prevent and end homelessness while advocating for people whose voices are often unheard. Our Modern Slavery Service supports people who have experienced exploitation, trafficking and abuse, often alongside homelessness, poverty, trauma and insecure immigration status.
The service provides:
- Pre-National Referral Mechanism (NRM) support
- Emergency accommodation where appropriate
- Safeguarding and advocacy
- Referrals into the National Referral Mechanism
- Access to health and mental health services
- Legal referrals and immigration support
- Housing, employment and education guidance
- Ongoing support for survivors after leaving the NRM process
Working in partnership with Westminster City Council and other agencies, The Passage helps survivors navigate complex systems and access the support they need to rebuild their lives.
The 2025 NRM statistics have shown that Westminster City Council submitted the highest number of adult NRMs out of any local authority across the UK. This is in no small part thanks to our active partnership with The Passage’s Modern Slavery Navigator, Daisy. Her commitment and expertise have made a real and lasting difference to people at risk of homelessness and modern slavery in the local area.” – Westminster City Council
Our impact in 2025-26
- 79 survivors supported: People received practical help, advocacy and specialist support to move forward after exploitation.
- 72.2% moved into safe or supported accommodation: A secure place to live is often the first step towards recovery.
- 100% success rate in accessing survivor support: Everyone referred through our specialist process was recognised as having indicators of modern slavery and became eligible for support.
- 65% increase in demand: More people than ever before came to us needing help.
Who we supported
The people we worked with came from many different backgrounds, but most shared two experiences:
🏠 Homelessnes: More than 8 in 10 people referred to us had nowhere safe to live.
⚠️ Exploitation: Nearly half had experienced trafficking and exploitation during dangerous migration journeys.
🧡 Recovery: Almost three-quarters moved into safe or supported accommodation after receiving support.
Felicity’s story
“I’m very grateful to The Passage and to the staff members like you [The Modern Slavery Navigator], who gave me reason to live and were so kind to me.” – Felicity
Felicity* came to The Passage after experiencing homelessness, following periods spent in refuges after fleeing abusive relationships. Initially, she was supported by The Passage’s Migrant Development Worker due to her having no status.
Over time, however, concerns emerged about Felicity’s early life experiences. Following an assessment by the Modern Slavery Navigator, it became clear that she had been subjected to severe exploitation and abuse during her childhood in Nigeria.
Felicity disclosed that her mother had sold her into labour exploitation, and she was forced to work in a hotel from a young age while enduring significant trauma and abuse. Eventually, she managed to escape her situation on her own.
For many years, Felicity had understandably focused on the more recent trauma she had experienced through domestic abuse, and her childhood experiences had never been fully explored or addressed. With the support of The Passage, she was able to begin processing these earlier experiences and understand the lasting impact they had on her life.
As a result, Felicity was referred into the NRM, enabling her to access specialist support and focus on her recovery. The referral also provided a pathway to greater financial and housing stability, reducing the uncertainty she had faced for many years. Following a stay in a safe house, Felicity received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision and successfully moved into settled accommodation in London.
Today, Felicity is in a far more secure position, with the safety, stability and support needed to continue rebuilding her life after years of exploitation, abuse and homelessness.
*Name changed for anonymity