Court of Appeal rules kidnap for ransom can constitute human trafficking
The Court of Appeal dismissed the Home Secretary's appeal in a case involving a man kidnapped in Libya, ruling the Home Office had applied an unlawful approach.
Kidnap for ransom in Libya ruled capable of meeting trafficking definition
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the Home Secretary's appeal in AAM v SSHD [2026] EWCA Civ 1411, upholding a ruling that the Home Office applied an unlawful approach when assessing whether a man kidnapped and held for ransom in Libya qualified as a victim of human trafficking, landmarkchambers.co.uk reports.
Applying what the court described as the "natural reading" of the Slavery and Human Trafficking (Definition of Victim) Regulations 2022, the judges accepted that the experiences of the claimant, identified only as AAM, could fall within the statutory trafficking definition.
The court found that the Home Secretary had erred by failing to consider whether the circumstances of the kidnapping amounted to exploitation under that definition. The judgment emphasised that the question is inherently fact-specific, meaning each case must be assessed on its own particular circumstances.
The ruling is expected to carry wider significance for other cases in which individuals allege they were kidnapped and held for ransom, particularly in conflict-affected regions. It clarifies that such experiences are not automatically excluded from trafficking protections and must be properly examined against the statutory framework.
Miranda Butler acted for AAM, led by Samantha Knights KC and instructed by Jeremy Bloom and Elizabeth Cole of Duncan Lewis. The case has also been covered by the Guardian.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)