UK bill could make it harder for Al Fayed survivors to be believed

Trafficking survivors could face another barrier to recognition and support under the UK’s proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill. Stricter credibility rules in the bill could lead officials to doubt survivors who took years to report abuse, struggle to recall every detail or share similar experiences with others.

The UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, has condemned the changes as fundamentally unfair. Among those affected are the survivors of trafficking and sexual abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed, who fear the changes could stop them from being believed. The billionaire former owner of Harrods died in 2023. Since then, more than 100 women have made allegations against him.

Credibility tests could punish survivors for trauma

The Bill lists factors that Home Office decision-makers must count against a survivor’s credibility: a delay in reporting, gaps or errors in an account, and close similarities to someone else’s claim. These decisions determine whether someone gains formal recognition as a trafficking survivor through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which unlocks safe housing, counselling and legal advice.

However, Lyons warned that these can be effects of trauma. Survivors may struggle to recall details of their abuse, while fear of reprisals can keep them silent for years. She told The Guardian:

“They are basically saying to victims, if you don’t come forward in a timely fashion not yet defined, if there are inconsistencies in your account, and if there are similarities between exploitation and [those of] others, the Home Office decision-maker must question your credibility.”

Al Fayed trafficking survivors fear officials will dismiss their experiences

Lyons said the tests would be especially concerning for Fayed survivors, as years have passed and many women experienced similar exploitation.

The Home Office has formally recognized several of these women as survivors of modern slavery. One of them, Elizabeth, belongs to the survivor collective No One Above. She only came forward once she no longer feared losing her home. Other survivors have also shared their testimonies.

Another survivor, Pelham Spong, has come forward about how Fayed had her trafficked in Paris in 2008 and then sent her to London, where he sexually assaulted her. At 23, with little money or support, she felt unable to take on a billionaire. She did not report the abuse to police until 2017, a delay the new rules could hold against her.

Holly Johnson recounts how Fayed trafficked and abused her while she worked at Harrods and his Park Lane offices. She told The Guardian:

“Fayed had a specific strategy for trafficking and assaulting women, and many of our stories are really similar. To say someone shouldn’t be believed because their situation is too similar to another victim of that same abuser is absurd.”

A wider threat to trafficking survivors

The government says the tests will prevent misuse of the NRM and speed up removals. Yet Lyons has previously noted that Parliament found no evidence of widespread misuse. Anti-slavery charity Unseen adds that most UK survivors are British nationals, so the impact reaches far beyond asylum cases.

Freedom United has warned that the government’s asylum reforms could fuel trafficking. We also raised concerns that the new asylum bill would limit protections for survivors who disclose abuse late.

A committee of MPs is now reviewing the Bill and will report back to Parliament after 3 November. Tell them to strike the credibility tests and stand with survivors.