British retail bank HSBC UK launched a scheme on Monday to help victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in Britain “rebuild their lives” by giving them access to bank accounts.
The bank, part of the London-listed global finance group, said it had been working with law enforcement and charities to identify people who have escaped slavery and trafficking to whom it can offer its “Survivor Bank” service.
Banks usually require proof of address and identity documents, like passports, to open accounts, which can exclude victims of slavery and trafficking who may have had these documents confiscated or live in safe houses.
“Financial independence is a vital part of this rebuilding process,” Victoria Atkins, Britain’s minister for crime, safeguarding and vulnerability, said in a statement.
