THE NUMBER of people referred as potential victims of modern slavery in the UK reached a record high last year, according to official figures released on Thursday. Experts have called for urgent policy changes to tackle the growing issue.
Home Office data showed 19,125 referrals were made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2024, the highest recorded so far. The figure surpassed the previous record of around 17,000 referrals in 2023. The NRM is the UK's system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery.
Modern slavery includes human trafficking, forced labour, servitude, and exploitation. The issue has been rising globally due to poverty, conflict, and migration, with millions of people affected.
In Britain, victims can be exploited in different sectors, including the drug and sex trades, car washes, nail salons, private homes, and social care. Men, women, and children are among those impacted.
"These statistics are not just numbers, they are individuals with voices, voices that the government need to listen to," said Britain's independent anti-slavery commissioner, Eleanor Lyons.
"A cross-government modern slavery strategy is needed that will enable law enforcement to prioritise tackling this crime."
Human rights group Anti-Slavery International estimates that around 130,000 people in Britain are living in conditions of modern slavery.
Of the total referrals made to the NRM in 2024, 23 per cent were British nationals, making them the largest group.
Albanians accounted for 13 per cent of cases, followed by Vietnamese nationals at 11 per cent. Nearly 6,000 referrals, or about 31 per cent, involved children.
Charities and lawmakers have called for stronger enforcement of labour laws and reforms to immigration policies. They argue that the government's approach has focused on curbing illegal migration rather than addressing modern slavery.
Tougher immigration rules have left thousands trapped in exploitative conditions, making them less likely to seek help due to fear of deportation, Reuters reported last month.
"(Today's) figures reinforce a crucial point: modern slavery is a crime against individuals and must not be conflated with immigration offences," Lyons said.
The government has said it will hire additional caseworkers to speed up claims processing under the NRM. At the end of 2023, more than 17,000 people were awaiting a second-stage decision on their claims, according to official data.
_(With inputs from Reuters)_