THE Home Secretary will today come under pressure from MPs, religious leaders and thousands of other people to help a young victim of trafficking and modern slavery who faces deportation.

Amber Rudd has been urged to intervene in the case of 'Stephen' , who at the age of ten was trafficked from Vietnam to the UK and forced to work in a cannabis farm. He was rescued by police and fostered by Shildon vicar Rev David Tomlinson and his family.

His application for asylum, on the grounds he no longer has any ties to Vietnam and would face religious persecution, was refused. A campaign urging the Government to let him stay has won widespread support and included a petition on the site 38 Degrees.

An open letter, hosted by 38 Degrees, will today be handed to the Home Office as the 20-year-old's appeal is about to be heard.

It asks Amber Rudd to reconsider the decision and has been signed by 32 MPs, including members of All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery, The Bishop of Durham and 80,000 of members of the public.

Campaigner at 38 Degrees Cathy Warren said: "The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have committed to ending the injustice of modern slavery.

"Stephen's case is unfortunately not unique. Many victims of this barbaric crime are forced to deal with the indescribable stress of facing removal from the families and homes they've made in the UK.

"The Home Office's decision to refuse asylum to 'Stephen', a young man identified by the Government as a victim of modern slavery, betrays the Home Secretary's commitment to putting victims first. The MPs, religious leaders and thousands of members of the British public who have backed this open letter shows there is significant pressure on Amber Rudd to intervene."

Chloe Setter, head of advocacy, policy and campaigns, at ECPAT UK (Every Child Protected Against Trafficking), said:"Sadly, Stephen's case is not uncommon. We know that thousands of children are exploited in the UK, many of them trafficked from Vietnam. Once found by authorities, instead of being provided with stability and safety, they often face an uphill battle to access specialist support and to secure their status."The protection of these young people must be paramount and not determined by immigration objectives. "To remove Stephen to Vietnam where he could face a real risk of re-trafficking is cruel and goes against the UK's strong stance on tackling modern slavery."