Modern slavery in the UK has reached record levels and is expected to worsen over the next decade, the government's independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned.
According to the number of referrals to the national referral mechanism, which assesses potential victims of slavery and provides support, numbers have almost doubled in the last five years from 12,691 referrals in 2021 to 23,411 in 2025, the highest ever recorded.
Report Highlights Growing Vulnerability
In her report published on Tuesday, Eleanor Lyons stated that this increase is not only due to better detection of slavery but also to worsening conditions in the UK and globally.
"Poverty, global instability, conflict, global displacement of people and the breakdown of safe migration routes are creating a growing pipeline of vulnerability that traffickers are quick to exploit," said the report, Anticipating Exploitation: A Futures-Based Analysis.
The report compiled research from more than 50 experts across law enforcement, government, civil society and the charity sector, and is the first comprehensive forward-looking analysis of how modern slavery and human trafficking are likely to evolve in the UK over the next decade.
AI and Digital Exploitation on the Rise
Lyons warned that unless the UK takes action, the situation could worsen with AI being used to scale up and professionalise exploitation; increased use of digital labour in "scam compounds" such as entrapping people into investor and romance fraud; and the integration of cryptocurrencies into trafficking models.
The report also raised concerns about the continued growth of gig economy platforms, coercive labour in areas such as agriculture, construction and mining, and an increase in reproductive slavery such as enforced egg harvesting and surrogacy.
Call for Urgent Action
Lyons called on ministers to increase funding for specialist police units to disrupt exploitation, prosecute more businesses that exploit or enslave workers, and launch a national campaign to help the public recognise and report exploitation. She also urged the government to improve victim care.
Her report warned that without urgent action, criminal networks would become more cunning, less visible and harder to disrupt. "Slavery and the most harrowing forms of exploitation are becoming more widespread in this country and evolving faster than we can respond," Lyons said.
"As exploitation becomes more complex and more hidden, driven by technology and global instability, it will spread further and become harder to stop unless we act now."
Council of Europe Report Echoes Concerns
A separate evaluation report published on Tuesday by the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) highlighted a steep rise in potential trafficking victims.
While the experts welcomed steps taken by UK authorities in recent years, such as not holding victims responsible for criminal acts forced by traffickers, they urged further measures to bring anti-trafficking laws, policies and practices fully into line with the convention.
The report stressed the need for more resources, increased prioritisation and better coordination between law enforcement and other agencies, as well as reinforced financial investigations. It added that further safeguards were needed to prevent trafficking for labour exploitation and trafficking of vulnerable groups including children, migrants, asylum seekers and homeless people.
Government Response
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Modern slavery is a global scourge that abuses and exploits people for profit. We are committed to reviewing the modern slavery system to reduce opportunities for misuse of the system, whilst also ensuring that we have the right protections for those who need it.
"We are working with brave survivors to inform policy development and improve the process of identifying victims. We have also taken immediate action to reduce the backlog of cases, ensuring victims get swift decisions and the support they need to rebuild their lives."
