Modern slavery at record levels in UK and expected to worsen, report warns | Modern slavery
Slavery in the UK is at record levels and expected to worsen over the next decade, the government’s independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned.
According to the number of applications national guidance mechanismFigures from the Slavery Centre, which assesses potential victims of slavery and provides support to victims, have almost doubled in the last five years; It increased from 12,691 referrals in 2021 to 23,411 in 2025, the highest number ever.
In her report published on Tuesday, Eleanor Lyons said this increase was not only due to better detection of slavery, but also to worsening conditions in the UK and around the world.
“Poverty, global instability, conflict, global displacement of people, and disruption of safe migration routes create a growing pipeline of vulnerabilities that human traffickers can quickly exploit,” the report, titled Predicting Exploitation: A Future-Based Analysis, says.
Bringing together research from more than 50 different experts from law enforcement, government, civil society and the charity sector, this is the first comprehensive forward-looking analysis of how modern slavery and human trafficking will develop in the UK over the next decade.
Lyons said if the UK does not act, the situation could worsen as AI is used to amplify and professionalize exploitation; the increasing use of digital labor in “fraudulent combinations,” such as ensnaring people in investor and romance scams; and the integration of cryptocurrencies into human trafficking models.
The report also raised concerns about the continued growth of gig economy platforms, forced labor in areas such as agriculture, construction and mining, and the rise in reproductive slavery such as forced egg harvesting and surrogacy.
Lyons called on ministers to increase funding for specialist police units so they can prevent exploitation, prosecute more businesses that exploit or enslave workers and launch a national campaign to help the public recognize and report exploitation. It also called on the government to improve victim care.
Its report warned that without urgent action criminal networks will become more cunning, less visible and harder to disrupt. “The most destructive forms of slavery and exploitation are becoming more prevalent in this country and evolving faster than we can respond,” Lyons said.
“As exploitation becomes more complex and more covert due to technology and global instability, it will spread further and become harder to stop unless we act now.”
A separate assessment report, also published on Tuesday by a group of influential Council of Europe experts on human trafficking, said: Gretahighlighted a significant increase in the number of potential trafficking victims.
While experts welcomed a number of steps taken by UK authorities to combat human trafficking in recent years, such as not holding victims responsible for criminal acts they were forced to carry out by traffickers, they called on the UK to take a range of additional measures to bring the country’s anti-trafficking laws, policies and practices into full compliance with the European Trafficking Act. congress About action against human trafficking.
The report highlighted the need for more resources, increased prioritization and better coordination between law enforcement and other agencies, as well as strengthened financial investigations.
He added that further measures were needed to prevent human trafficking for labor exploitation, as well as trafficking in people from vulnerable groups, including children, migrants, refugees and the homeless.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Modern slavery is a global scourge that exploits and exploits people for profit. We are committed to reviewing the modern slavery system to reduce opportunities for abuse of the system, while ensuring we have the right protection for those who need it.”
“We are working with brave survivors to improve policy development and victim identification. We have also taken immediate action to reduce the backlog of cases, ensuring victims receive quick decisions and the support they need to rebuild their lives.”
