61% of adults believe it should not be a crime for two or more sex workers to work together  

Over half believe consensual sex work should be fully decriminalised  

“Full decriminalisation is the only option to keep sex workers safe” – Chiara Capraro  

Sex work should be fully decriminalised in the UK to protect sex workers’ human rights and safety, Amnesty International UK has said today.  

In England and Wales, the buying and selling of sexual services is legal, but some activities around sex work are not - sex workers who decide to work together for safety can be charged with brothel keeping and it is a criminal offence to ‘solicit’ clients in public spaces. As a result, sex workers are forced to work on their own, at increased risk of violence.   

A new poll* commissioned by Amnesty UK has shown that the majority of the UK public (61%) believe that it should not be a crime for two or more sex workers to work together, and more than half (53%) of UK adults agree that consensual adult sex work should be fully decriminalised.  

Chiara Capraro, Amnesty International UK’s Gender Justice Programme Director, said:   

“Our poll shows that the majority of the UK public wants the law to protect, not punish sex workers.  

“Most people go into sex work due to poverty. Years of austerity and the cost-of-living crisis are pushing more and more women into sex work to support themselves and their families. Rather than keeping these women safe and helping them to leave sex work if they so wish, the current law forces sex workers into harmful, dangerous and isolating situations and can trap them in a cycle of poverty.  

“Sex workers should be able to work together for safety, but instead criminalisation forces them to work in precarious situations alone, making them vulnerable to violence and abuse and blocking them from accessing health care and other vital services. 

“Full decriminalisation is the only option to keep sex workers safe – it would allow them to work together for security, improve their ability to report violence to the authorities and access justice and support.” 

Amnesty International UK is calling for decriminalisation alongside a coalition of sex worker led and human rights organisations, including Decrim Now and the English Collective of Prostitutes.  

Megan Isaac, a spokesperson from Decrim Now, said:  

"This polling shows that the general public agrees with what sex workers have long been calling for: we need full decriminalisation so that sex workers can work together for safety, without having to fear fines, eviction, or arrest. The government has abandoned millions of people in the UK to living in poverty - it's deeply unfair to criminalise people who turn to sex work so that they can survive. 

“We know that it's possible for the law to change. New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003 and Belgium did so in 2022, recently implementing laws that would give sex workers access to maternity leave, sick pay, and protection from harassment. Politicians must take action to decriminalise sex work in the UK, to protect sex workers' safety, health, and human rights." 

Laura Watson, a spokesperson from the English Collective of Prostitutes, said:  

“Most of the women in our group are mothers working to support children and we are furious that we are pushed into this job by poverty and then criminalised for trying to survive and keep our families together. Those of us who are migrant and/or women of colour get particularly targeted.  

“Sex workers are facing epidemic levels of rape and other violence but we can’t report to the police because we are frightened about being arrested ourselves for soliciting or brothel-keeping.  

“If we are working on the street, we end up running from the police and being pushed into more isolated areas. Many of us would like to work together with another woman inside because it is safer but if we do that we can be arrested for brothel-keeping." 

ENDS 

Background 

*Savanta interviewed 2,208 UK adults aged 18+ online between the 29 November and 2 December 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, gender, and region. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.