The Single Competent Authority (SCA) is the United Kingdom system that identifies whether someone is a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking. In the last three months the SCA has updated its guidance on the timeframe in which a reconsideration of one’s status as a ‘victim of slavery’ can be made. The updated policy imposes a timeframe to be “within one month of a negative reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decision” with any further evidence provided with the reconsideration request. The reconsideration requests include the following grounds:

1. If further evidence is available which, when combined with the evidence already taken into account, could prove that the individual is a victim of modern slavery.
2. There are particular concerns that a decision made, does not follow the SCA’s guidance.

 

If evidence arises outside of the one month period of the decision, the SCA can be informed and a request for a reconsideration extension can be made. Evidence that may be considered relevant for a reconsideration include, but are not restricted to the following:

• Evidence from the police that the individual is victim of a modern slavery crime.
• A judgment from the Immigration tribunal that an individual is a victim of modern slavery.
• A Section 45 defence being successfully used in Court.
• Evidence suggesting that the statutory guidance regarding the making of a Conclusive Grounds Decision has not been followed correctly.