Modern Slavery cases have tripled in England and Wales since the law to eradicate it was passed in 2015. But experts say previous governments have not done enough to fight modern slavery.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, 8,591 cases of modern slavery were recorded, according to crime data released by the ONS.
This was a rise of 260 per cent in such cases since 2016-17 when 2,362 cases were registered in police records.
Experts from organisations like Anti-Slavery International argue that the numbers still do not reflect the real extent of the problem faced by the country.
Statisticians at the ONS said that it is possible that improvements to police recording practices and changes to the Home Office counting rules have contributed to a rise in recorded crime over the years.
The Extent of the Problem
Communications Manager at Anti-Slavery International, Jessica Turner, referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the UK’s system that works to identify and support people impacted by modern slavery. Turner states that the available data suggests there has been an increase year on year.
“In 2023, over 17,000 people were referred into the NRM which is the highest number since records began. But this is still likely to be a huge underestimation”, said Turner.
She said: “According to the Global Slavery Index, in 2021 there were approximately 122,000 people trapped in slavery in the UK alone. It is extremely worrying that the number of people identified and referred is growing, but still, it is likely to be only a tiny reflection of the true number of people impacted.”
Anti-slavery charity, Hope for Justice‘s Adam Hewitt describes modern slavery as a ‘hidden crime’.
He said many of those affected do not recognise themselves as victims nor seek help because of the “psychological and physical control, manipulation and deception to which they are subjected, and because modern slavery is commonly perpetrated by organised criminal gangs who are also committing many other crimes. Often if there is an investigation, prosecution or conviction, it is for another offence rather than specifically modern slavery.”
It has become very difficult for even the most expert organisations to estimate the true scale of modern slavery. Hewitt added that the most credible estimates suggest there are between 100,000 and 122,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in the UK.
Speaking about the police records, he noted, “police services vary widely in their expertise and focus in tackling modern slavery and in the resources they are able to dedicate to it. We suspect that the variation in police recorded crime statistics reflects this more than it reflects the amount of offending taking place.”
He added that there were many cases where someone has been a victim but police have not been able to begin or complete an investigation. There was never a prosecution in those cases.
Communications officer of Unseen, an organisation working against slavery, Amy Lewis said that the long-term rise in reported modern slavery cases in the UK reflects increased exploitation in “high-demand, low-wage sectors like care work and growing public awareness.”
She added, “as people have become more educated on the signs of modern slavery in recent years, more individuals are coming forward, and communities particularly vulnerable to exploitation are increasingly aware of the UK’s Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline run by Unseen. “
The UK’s fight against modern slavery
In 2015, the parliament passed the Modern Slavery Act with the aim to eradicate modern slavery.
Then Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement: “The presence of modern slavery in today’s society is an affront to the dignity and humanity of every one of us. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is an historic milestone.”
The Act deals with slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking.
Organisations working to combat modern slavery welcomed the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Most believe that previous governments have not done enough to address the issue effectively.
Adam Hewitt said the 2015 Act was a big step forward for the UK. He added, “unfortunately in recent years progress has stalled or gone into reverse. What should be a human rights issue has instead been weaponised by certain politicians and newspapers who have used divisive rhetoric to make modern slavery part of the debate about immigration.”
Hewitt said that this had cast doubts, without evidence, on whether people are truly victims or are making it up.
“Shamefully, the previous government even rejected calls to exempt victims of modern slavery from its Rwanda deportation policy. As a charity we have seen this spread into public consciousness.”, said Hewitt
Jessica Turner of Anti-Slavery International said while the Act was pioneering at the time but it was never enough to truly eradicate slavery.
In 2022, the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group published a deep review of the Recovery Needs Assessment with some clear recommendations for the Home Office that have not yet been enacted, according to Turner.
When it comes to forced labour in the supply chains of businesses, Turner said the UK, unlike the EU, was falling behind in creating laws.
Amy Lewis agreed with Hewitt about the previous government’s role. She said, “In the first 100 days of the current government, we’ve seen a noticeable shift in its approach to modern slavery, along with a renewed openness to collaborating with third-sector organisations to address this issue.”
While there has been progress compared to the past six years, according to Lewis, it is also crucial that “these early positive signs lead to concrete, impactful actions. To effectively address modern slavery, the government must acknowledge modern slavery as an economic crime with horrendous human rights violations.”
Lewis said that significant ground has been lost over the past six years in fighting modern slavery. “Re-establishing modern slavery as a core government priority is crucial, given its profound impacts on individuals, the economy, and the pursuit of justice.”
The rising numbers still do not tell the extent of modern slavery in the UK and the government needs to do a lot more in this direction.