BackLAW
Modern slavery at record levels in UK, report warns
An independent anti-slavery watchdog warns of record exploitation in the UK, with 2025 referrals reaching a record high. The report attributes rising costs of living, debt, insecure work, global displacement, and new technology as drivers, urging government action and stronger enforcement.
Why It Matters
The findings indicate a growing and evolving threat affecting children and adults across the UK, underscoring the need for policy, policing, and survivor-support improvements to prevent harm.
Timeline
5 Events
New report warns of evolving exploitation and calls for action
May 4, 2026
A report published on May 4, 2026 warns that rising living costs, debt, and insecure work are driving exploitation, with artificial intelligence and digital platforms enabling traffickers to recruit, groom and control victims at scale. It notes children are exploited through online chat in video games and typically finds boys in county lines and drug gangs, and girls in sexual exploitation; the report calls for changes including funding for specialist police units and fines for businesses breaching anti-exploitation rules. The department says it is working with survivors to reduce backlogs.
2025: Breakdown of potential victims by origin
2025
In 2025, more than a fifth of potential victims were from the UK—the largest single group—followed by Eritrean nationals (13%) and Vietnamese nationals (9%).
Record referrals to monitoring group: 2025
2025
In 2025, the independent anti-slavery monitoring group received referrals for more than 23,000 potential victims, a 22% increase on the previous year and the highest number ever recorded.
Eleanor Lyons appointed independent anti-slavery commissioner
October 2023
Eleanor Lyons was appointed independent anti-slavery commissioner (IASC) in October 2023.
Modern Slavery Act 2015 comes into force
2015
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 brought together existing anti-exploitation offences into one law and created new duties and powers to protect victims and prosecute offenders, including a defence for victims of slavery and trafficking who have been forced to break the law.