Modern slavery hits record levels in UK

The UK government's independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned that slavery is at record levels in Britain and is expected to worsen over the next decade, driven by cost-of-living pressures and traffickers exploiting a growing pool of vulnerable people. Referrals to the national support system for potential victims have nearly doubled in five years, rising from 12,691 in 2021 to 23,411 last year. A separate BBC report links the surge to both poverty and technology enabling new forms of exploitation.