Britain recorded 19,125 potential modern slavery victims in 2024, surpassing previous figures. Experts urge policy reforms as stricter immigration laws leave victims afraid to seek help.
The number of suspected modern slavery victims in Britain reached a record high last year, according to official figures released on Thursday, underscoring a growing crime that experts say demands urgent government policy reforms.
Home Office data revealed that 19,125 potential victims were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2024, surpassing the previous record of approximately 17,000 in 2023. The NRM is Britain’s system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery.
Modern slavery—encompassing human trafficking, slavery, servitude, and forced labour—is on the rise globally, driven by factors such as poverty, conflict, and migration, affecting millions worldwide.
In Britain, the crime manifests in various forms, with men, women, and children forced into exploitative labour in sectors such as drug and sex trades, car washes, nail salons, private homes, and social care.
According to the human rights organisation Anti-Slavery International, the actual number of people living in modern slavery in Britain is estimated to be around 130,000.
British nationals accounted for approximately 23% of referrals to the NRM, making them the most commonly identified group, followed by Albanians at 13% and Vietnamese nationals at 11%. Children made up around 31% of all referrals, equating to nearly 6,000 cases.
Charities and lawmakers have called for Britain to rethink its approach to tackling modern slavery, advocating for stronger enforcement of labour laws and reforms to immigration policies, which have primarily focused on curbing illegal migration.
Stricter immigration policies are leaving thousands trapped in modern slavery, with many too afraid to seek help due to fears of deportation, Reuters reported last month.
The government has pledged to recruit dozens of additional caseworkers to process claims within the NRM, as more than 17,000 people were still awaiting a second-stage decision on their cases at the end of last year, official data showed.
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