Kidnapping for Ransom Is Trafficking Exploitation, Court Rules Against Home Office

The Court of Appeal has rejected the Home Office's claim that being kidnapped for ransom is not exploitation of trafficking victims.

The ruling came in the case of a Syrian asylum seeker. The 25-year-old fled forced military conscription in Syria in July 2021, knowing he was likely to be imprisoned and tortured for refusing to fight.

After arriving in Libya, he and other Syrians were abducted by armed men. They were held captive for a month between August and September 2021. Their money and phones were seized. They were driven through the desert for 24 hours, hearing gunshots, with no food and little water.

They were told they would not be released until their families agreed to pay a ransom of several thousand dollars. He was tied up and often beaten on his hands and feet. He and the other captives had to phone their families to beg them to pay the kidnappers the ransom money. While they were on the phone, the kidnappers beat them so their families could hear the screams. He was terrified that even if his family paid his captors, he might not be released and that his organs might be harvested.

The man was released after his family paid his kidnappers. He then made his way to Europe, crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy by boat. He crossed the Channel from France to the UK on 16 May 2022 and claimed asylum.

The Home Office rejected his trafficking claim, arguing that because he had not been subjected to forced labour by his kidnappers, his experience did not meet the definition of exploitation in the trafficking rules.

He challenged the decision in the High Court, which ruled in his favour. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood appealed against the ruling.

The Court of Appeal has rejected the Home Office's claims. The ruling means that many people who have been kidnapped for ransom will now have to have these claims considered. They may be eligible for the support and recovery package trafficking victims are entitled to.

Being kidnapped for ransom is a common hazard for asylum seekers passing through Libya on their journey to Europe. Many are fleeing conflict in countries such as Sudan and Eritrea as well as some Middle Eastern countries.

Recent freedom of information data relating to asylum seekers who were confirmed to be genuine trafficking victims found that of the 1,778 confirmed victims between July 2024 and July 2025, 89 percent were forcibly removed from the UK, putting them at risk of being trafficked again.

Each trafficking claim must be considered on the facts of the individual case.