Poverty and technology fueling record levels of slavery in UK

The United Kingdom is facing an alarming surge in modern slavery, with the independent anti-slavery commissioner warning that record numbers of potential victims are being exploited due to economic pressures and technological advancements. The latest figures reveal a staggering 22% increase in referrals in 2025, reaching over 23,000 individuals, the highest number ever documented.

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The most harrowing forms of exploitation are becoming more widespread in this country and evolving faster than we can respond.

This escalating crisis is particularly concerning as it disproportionately affects individuals within the UK, who constitute the largest single group of potential victims. Eritrean and Vietnamese nationals also represent significant portions of those exploited, highlighting the international dimension of this domestic issue. The report underscores a grim reality: the most harrowing forms of exploitation are not only becoming more widespread within the UK but are also evolving at a pace that outstrips the current response capabilities.

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It will spread further and become harder to stop unless we act now.

Eleanor Lyons, the independent anti-slavery commissioner, has issued a stark warning that this trend will continue to spread and become increasingly difficult to combat unless immediate and decisive action is taken. She calls for a robust government response, including increased funding for specialized police units and penalties for businesses found complicit in exploitation. The report emphasizes that behind the statistics are real people enduring unimaginable abuse, from forced participation in the sex trade to forced labor in brutal conditions, living in constant fear.

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Behind these numbers are real people being abused in ways most of us would struggle to imagine, whether it's women forced into the sex trade, children coerced into drug gangs, or workers trapped in brutal conditions with no way out, often living in absolute fear.