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Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner visits Unseen

Eleanor Lyons says she would like to see all political parties making clear committments to protecting victims of modern slavery and bringing criminals to justice.
UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner visits Unseen
Pictured (left to right): Andrew Wallis, Unseen CEO; Eleanor Lyons, Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; Justine Carter, Unseen Director

The UK’s new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Eleanor Lyons visited Unseen’s Bristol office to find out more about our charity’s services and initiatives. 

On 1 February 2024, Lyons heard from staff about Unseen’s support for victims through our safehouses and work in the community, our 24/7 Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, and the services we provide to businesses, helping to prevent worker exploitation. 

Speaking on her new position and our work at Unseen, Lyons said: “The role has been vacant for 18 months which is why it’s important for me to visit charities across the sector.  

“I’ve been heartened by what I’ve learned. There is so much good practice happening. I want to share that knowledge across Whitehall where there may not be that understanding of what charities are experiencing and the support they are providing. My role is to ensure people outside the sector are hearing about this great work.” 

Lyons succeeds Dame Sara Thornton who held the role from 2019 to 2022. 

“It’s a unique year with the general election,” Lyons said. “I would like to see all political parties making clear commitments to protecting victims and bringing criminals to justice. 

“I would also like to see a reversal of the downward trend we’ve experienced in the UK. We were world-leading in modern slavery with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and have taken regressive steps since then. I would like us to make progress towards being world-leading once again.” 

The Commissioner’s remit is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of modern slavery offences.

They work directly with statutory agencies, who have a duty to co-operate with the commissioner as set out in the Modern Slavery Act. 

Lyons added: “It’s been great visiting Unseen. The Helpline is Unseen’s superpower – it is helping victims and providing vital signposting at a point when they need it.” 

Andrew Wallis, Unseen CEO, said: “We were delighted to welcome Ms Lyons and discuss with her the difference we and partner charities in the sector are making as we work towards a world without slavery. 

“The challenges ahead are significant, with exploitation prevalent in so many sectors and in every town and city in the UK.

“We look forward to working with Ms Lyons and our partners on raising modern slavery up the political agenda and making the UK a hostile environment for criminals and human traffickers, not victims of exploitation.”  

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Justine Currell

As I came to understand more about the issue, including through a visit to an Unseen safehouse, I knew I needed to do more to stop this abuse and exploitation.

For the last five years of my Civil Service career, I was the Modern Slavery Senior Policy Advisor in the Home Office and led on development of the Modern Slavery Act, including the transparency in supply chains provision and business guidance.

I joined Unseen to lead the development of the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, and Unseen’s work with businesses. I am regularly called upon to present at national and international conferences and use my experience of working with Ministers to influence other governments internationally to take action to address modern slavery and, in particular, business supply chain issues.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, music, reading and travelling.

Andrew Wallis

What ultimately compelled me to act was a report on how people from Eastern Europe were being trafficked through Bristol airport to the USA. Kate Garbers, who went on to be an Unseen Director, and I wrote to all the city councillors, MPs and the Police Chief Constable challenging them on the issue. The challenge came back to us: this city needs safe housing for trafficked women. And so Unseen began.

But we never wanted Unseen to be just about safe housing. We wanted to end slavery once and for all, and that remains our driving focus.

I chaired the working group for the Centre for Social Justice’s landmark report “It Happens Here: Equipping the United Kingdom to Fight Modern Slavery”. This is now acknowledged as the catalyst behind the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015. It was a great honour to be awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours that year. On the other hand, I’ve also been described as “the loveliest disrupter you could ever hope to meet”.

This job has taken me from building flat-pack furniture for safehouses, to working with businesses to address slavery in supply chains, to delivering training, raising awareness and advising governments around the world.

When not at work, I enjoy travelling, spending time with my dog Harley, cooking, supporting Liverpool and Yorkshire CC, music (I’m a former DJ) and endurance events such as the Three Peaks Challenge and Tribe Freedom Runs – which I vow never to do again. Until the next time.