Thousands of victims of modern slavery are being denied support in the UK due to tougher laws aimed at curbing illegal migration, a decade after the country passed the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which had positioned Britain at the forefront of the global fight against human trafficking. The Modern Slavery Act forced large businesses to address slavery within their supply chains and strengthened protections for victims.
However, these protections have been undermined by the 2023 rules that focus on controlling the large numbers of migrants arriving in the UK via small boats. These laws require victims to provide greater proof of exploitation in order to qualify for state support, leading to a dramatic increase in the rejection rate of slavery cases—from just 11% in 2022 to 45% in 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, this rate stood at 46%.
In 2023, the UK Home Office identified approximately 17,000 people as potential victims of modern slavery, with the majority being migrants, often brought to the UK to work in industries like nail salons, car washes, sex work, and the illicit drug trade.
Many experts argue that this is just the tip of the iceberg. A report by the House of Lords, published in October, estimated that there are around 130,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK. The report criticized the government for not amending the immigration rules to accommodate the reality of modern slavery and trafficking.
Despite the Labour government’s promise to address the issue, no changes have been made to the legislation, and the Conservative ban on asylum seekers claiming modern slavery protections remains in place.
