Part 5: Modern Slavery Section 59: Late compliance with slavery or trafficking information notice: damage to credibility
Overview: This section sets out the consequence if an individual, aged 18 or over, who has been served with a slavery or trafficking information notice under section 58, provides information relating to being a victim of modern slavery after the specified time period, without good reason.
	Background: Modern slavery matters are frequently raised after asylum or human rights grounds for remaining in the UK have been refused. This can also occur at the point of removal leading to that removal being delayed. Inappropriate use of detention and failed removal action results in costs to the Home Office and wider government, which could be prevented if all grounds are raised at the earliest point in the process.
	The purpose of this section is to reduce the potential for misuse of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) system from referrals requested with the intention of delaying removal action from those who have made an asylum or human rights claim and to ensure that victims are identified as early as possible to receive appropriate support.
	Subsection 1 sets out that this section applies to individuals who have been served an information notice under section 58, and who were aged 18 or over when the most recent information notice was served, who have provided information late, and a competent authority is making a reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decision.
	Subsection 2 sets out that the competent authority must take account, as damaging the individual’s credibility the late provision of evidence unless there are good reasons why the information was provided late.
	Subsections 3 and 4 provide the definition of "late" as being on or after the date specified in the slavery or trafficking information notice. It also provides the meaning of "relevant status information", which is set out in section 58.