Modern slavery “greater than ever” in UK, as tech and cost of living drive exploitation

A new report in the UK warns that exploitation in the UK is on the rise. Experts say rising cost of living, growing debt and insecure employment are creating ideal conditions for labor abuse. On top of that, new technology allows criminal networks to use digital tools to recruit, control, and exploit people at an exponentially greater scale. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, said the issue of modern slavery in the UK is now “greater than ever” in scale. 

Record referrals reveal growing scale 

The numbers don’t lie: in 2025, 23,411 potential modern slavery survivors were referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM). That’s a rise of more than 20% in one year. It’s also the highest figure since records began in 2009. And, contrary to popular belief, UK nationals accounted for the largest share of referrals at 22% (5,110 people). They were followed by Eritrean nationals at 13% (3,083) and Vietnamese nationals at 9% (1,998). 

Lyons told The Independent: 

Behind these numbers are real people being abused in ways most of us would struggle to imagine, whether it’s women forced into the sex trade, children coerced into drug gangs, or workers trapped in brutal conditions with no way out, often living in absolute fear. 

The survivors referred through the NRM are affected by a range of abuses. These include forced labor, criminal exploitation, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Most faced economic insecurity and, just to survive, accepted unsafe, informal, or exploitative work. The report also points to global conflict and immigration/visa-based exploitation as an emerging risk. In addition, reproductive exploitation and organ harvesting are also trending higher. 

Technology and economic pressures = new forms of abuse 

Exploitation is also becoming more digital, more complex, and harder to trace. Criminals are using artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and online scams to target victims. And they can now operate with greater anonymity and reach. Children are particularly at risk. Perpetrators remotely offer virtual gifts, such as game or phone credits, to entice young people. These gifts foster a sense of debt or “debt bonding.” The traffickers then leverage that control to lead children into sexual and labor exploitation. 

Lyons shared: 

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. 

She thinks the government must urgently make tackling slavery “a clear priority.” Lyon also highlighted other immediate needs, such as increased funding for specialist police units and a national awareness campaign. 

Markedly, Lyon points to the need for businesses to be fined and prosecuted if abuses are uncovered. And a long-term national plan to tackle modern slavery and track progress is also of vital importance. Without these changes, Lyon stated modern slavery will continue to become “more widespread in this country…evolving faster than we can respond.” 

Calls for urgent action as threat evolves 

Despite the scale of the problem, experts say solutions are still within reach. And while the government has pledged to clear the backlog of modern slavery cases by 2026 and has added 200 staff to speed up decisions, more comprehensive action is needed. As exploitation evolves, Lyon and rights groups argue, responses must evolve just as quickly.  

Freedom United stands with Lyon and other rights groups calling for decisive action from the UK government. Without it, modern slavery risks becoming more widespread, more hidden and more deeply rooted in everyday life and even more difficult to root out and stop. Add your voice to ours in calling on in the US, UK, and EU to enact mandatory due diligence laws to help prevent this alarming trend.