In London, on March 5th, official statistics released by the Home Office revealed a significant increase in potential modern slavery victims in Britain, reaching a record high last year. The data showed a total of 19,125 referrals of potential victims to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2024, surpassing the previous record of approximately 17,000 in 2023.
Modern slavery, encompassing human trafficking, slavery, servitude, and forced labor, is on the rise globally, affecting millions due to factors like poverty, conflict, and migration. In the UK, individuals – men, women, and children – are coerced into exploitative situations across various sectors such as drug and sex trades, car washes, nail salons, private residences, and the social care industry.
Eleanor Lyons, Britain's independent anti-slavery commissioner, emphasized the need for a comprehensive cross-government strategy to combat modern slavery effectively. She stated, "These statistics represent individuals with voices that the Government must heed."
According to Anti-Slavery International, an estimated 130,000 people are living in modern slavery in Britain. The data from the NRM indicated that 23% of the referrals were British nationals, with Albanians and Vietnamese nationals representing the second and third most referred nationalities, respectively. Alarmingly, nearly 31% of the referrals were children.
Charities and lawmakers are advocating for reforms, calling for stronger enforcement of labor laws and changes in immigration policies. There are concerns that stringent immigration measures have deterred individuals from seeking help for fear of deportation.
Lyons stressed the importance of distinguishing modern slavery from immigration offenses, emphasizing that it is a crime against individuals. The government has committed to increasing the number of caseworkers to address the backlog of over 17,000 people waiting for decisions on their support claims within the NRM.