Resource

For many survivors of human trafficking, recovery does not begin when exploitation ends. It begins when they know they are safe. Without secure immigration status, survivors can spend years unable to rebuild their lives. They may be prevented from working or studying and live under the constant threat of removal from the UK. The psychological impact of trafficking is compounded by prolonged uncertainty, making recovery immeasurably harder. That is why the new Guidance Note published last month by GRETA, the expert body monitoring implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT), is so important.

In 2025, the doctors, clinical psychologists, lawyers and caseworkers across the Helen Bamber Foundation Group have stood alongside our clients as they rebuilt their lives with safety, dignity and hope in the UK. Together, we have supported 1705 survivors of trafficking and torture, stateless people and unaccompanied young children fleeing violence and persecution in 2025. In 2025, one of our key priorities was to grow access to trauma-informed support through training, partnership and advocacy. Drawing on over 20 years of expertise, we delivered training to statutory agencies including police forces, NHS practitioners and frontline support organisations in our Helen Bamber Foundation Group Trauma Centre. Through our strategic partnerships, training and evidence-led advocacy — and informed by the lived experience of the survivors we support — we continue to drive systemic change.

This study finds that immigration detention has negative mental health consequences across a variety of immigration detention facilities and detainee characteristics. Recommendations based on findings are presented, including eliminating child detention, imposing upper limits to the duration of adult detention, improving mental health screening pre-detention, and providing evidence-based psychological care during detention.