Unlocking compensation for modern slavery

Aim

Help FIND support survivors with more robust claims so that more survivors can access the means to rebuild their lives

Our campaign

For five years, FIND has partnered with civil society leaders and communities in the UK and around the world to help bring justice to those who suffer from human trafficking and other human rights abuses. 

To mark our fifth year anniversary, we are hoping to raise £10,000 to better support survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. 

The issue 

Human trafficking and modern slavery affect tens of thousands of people in the UK every year. In 2024, just under 20,000 modern slavery referrals were reported to the National Referral Mechanism. In reality, the number of survivors is likely much higher. Survivors have complex needs, with many suffering physical and psychological trauma. Access to legal advice and representation has a huge impact, not only in helping survivors to secure formal recognition and validate their experiences, but also in enabling survivors to access safe housing, community support, and compensation. With legal support, survivors are more likely to engage with criminal proceedings against perpetrators and to pursue compensation which then provides a fresh start, reduces vulnerability to exploitation or re-trafficking, helps with reintegration, and holds traffickers to account. 

But this only happens for small percentage of victims. Too often, survivors of trafficking are unable to access effective legal support. Their cases are uniquely complex, long-running and costly: they are not suited to payment by standard legal aid fixed fees, though frequently this is their only option. Moreover, most solicitors do not have the skills or resources to identify traffickers’ assets, and so compensation cases collapse or enforcement fails. 

Where FIND fits in

We have supported survivors of trafficking and modern slavery since we were set up: we know that this is an area where our investigations and capacity building make a real difference in advancing access to justice. Our investigations drive legal cases against the perpetrators - we gather evidence about the identity of traffickers, and the companies and properties they own (the financial assets) so that lawyers can submit robust claims against traffickers. We also provide free training sessions to lawyers so that they can learn how to do the preliminary investigative work themselves and build more successful cases. 

Since 2020, we have: 

• Gathered critical evidence that helped secure an injunction to prevent a convicted trafficker from hiding his wealth from the authorities. The survivor received a cash settlement. Read more here.
• Unravelled a complex corporate structure so that a survivor of modern slavery could bring a civil suit against an online platform that enabled their abuse and exploitation. The case is ongoing. 
• Mapped a fishing company’s supply chain and asset position to inform legal strategy. The fishermen were recognised as victims of modern slavery and received compensation, and the company was the subject of a BBC documentary, ‘Slavery at Sea’.

This year FIND is expanding its work to include additional support to survivors and their lawyers through our Unlocking Compensation programme. Raising £10,000 will enable us to give over 130 hours of free investigative and capacity building time to our partners – lawyers, front-line victim support organisations, and members of the Trafficking Compensation Action Group.

Can you help us reach our goal of £10,000 to kickstart this vitally important programme and have even greater impact? Help us Unlock Compensation for human trafficking victims today!

About us 

FIND, a non-profit organisation, investigates the actors, technologies, and systems that enable and profit from human rights abuses, international crimes, and environmental harm.

We build civil society capacity through meticulous financial investigations and training. We work hand-in-hand with community organisations, NGOs, journalists, public interest lawyers, and intergovernmental bodies to seek truth and justice for those affected.

Our work feeds into legal proceedings, regulatory action, investigative reporting and advocacy campaigns. We strive for a world where rights are upheld, ecosystems are protected, and no one profits from the suffering of people or the planet.

Read more about our work and its impact on our newly launched website.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Legal status

FIND is a company limited by guarantee without share capital in England and Wales incorporated in April 2020 as Financial Investigations for Non-Profit Design (reg no. 12575573).  FIND is certified as equivalent to a US public charity. It received its equivalency determination certification through NGOSource in March 2024.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made