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Modern slavery is an umbrella term within which human trafficking is encompassed. Victims of modern slavery are exploited and controlled by their perpetrators. This exploitation may include forced labour, domestic servitude, organ trafficking, and sexual, financial or criminal exploitation. Victims of modern slavery are unable to leave their situation of exploitation – controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion and deception.

In 2023, 16,921 potential victims of trafficking and slavery were referred to the National Referral Mechanism – the UK’s system for identifying and supporting victims. This was the highest number recorded by the UK authorities since the figures were first compiled in 2009 and saw referrals for women and children up by 24% and 44% respectively. British nationals made up the highest number of cases (accounting for 25% of all potential victims), followed by Albanian and Vietnamese nationals. In reality, however, the extent of slavery and trafficking in the UK is likely to be far greater than the NRM statistics would suggest. The Global Slavery Index estimated there were 122,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK in 2023.

There is no typical victim of modern slavery – victims are of all genders, ages, ethnicities and nationalities. However, any compounded vulnerability would increase an individual’s risk of becoming a victim of modern slavery. Poverty, limited opportunities at home, lack of education, unstable social and political conditions, economic imbalances and war would all increase the risk of modern slavery.