Amid surge in modern slavery we ask people to spot the signs & speak up

In a new campaign, we are asking people to raise the alarm about modern day slavery anonymously, as the number of victims has vastly increased over the past decade.  

There has been an 870% rise in referrals of potential victims of modern slavery in the past 10 years. * And it is estimated that 130,000 people are currently subjected to slavery in the UK. ** 
 
The true scale of people being exploited, abused and used as modern slaves is unknown as most victims suffer silently behind closed doors. This type of exploitation is typically hidden in plain sight without us even realising it.
 
We may be interacting with, buying products from and receiving services from victims, without realising that they are modern day slaves and we would be unaware of their suffering if we don’t know the signs to look out for. 

Modern slavery can take many forms including sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, debt bondage and forced criminal and commercial sexual exploitation.

We are encouraging people to be aware of the signs of exploitation and to report their concerns anonymously to our charity in order for victims to be identified and safeguarded and for those behind it to face justice.  

In recent years Unseen, the anti-slavery charity, has seen a worrying rise in calls about care sector workers being abused. It follows changes in the rules to make it easier for overseas social care staff to work in the UK, with the aim of filling thousands of job vacancies. 

Most exploited care workers are women from overseas, working long and gruelling hours – often 20 hours each day. In some cases, they earn as little as £2 per hour. Those most at risk appear to be care workers from India, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Some have paid huge sums of money to unscrupulous employers or recruitment agencies to come to the UK on special visas designed to fill vacancies in the care sector. Often the workers do not understand their rights in the UK, which leaves them vulnerable to further abuse.

14 signs of modern slavery to spot:

• Workers being transported between venues by their employer
• Victims may be confined to their place of work
• Limited freedom to leave or communicate with others 
• Long shifts without adequate breaks or rest
• Victims may lack legal status or proper work permits 
• Personal and professional documents and I.D. held by employers 
• Underpayment or non-payment of wages
• Multiple workers living in the same accommodation - especially multiple staff in one room  
• Signs of staff having to live in inappropriate spaces - floor/shed/out-house/garage 
• Looking to another to speak for them or someone insisting on speaking for others 
• Staff kept out of the way during a visit or engagement 
• Members of staff unable to communicate with their clients effectively 
• Signs of physical abuse such as unexplained injuries, bruises, or scars
• Neglect in terms of health and safety.

Contact our charity and stay 100% anonymous by calling 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form. A dedicated website and service for young people can be found at Fearless.org with advice on how to keep safe and how to report anonymously.
 

 Find out more about this campaign.

* NCA and Home Office statistic on reporting to the National Referral Mechanism between 2013 – 2023). ** Anti-Slavery International and The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).