5 September 2024

Hestia has today released a comprehensive report revealing the concerning prevalence and evolving nature of modern slavery across the UK, titled ‘On our streets: The changing face of modern slavery in London’. 

The report exposes the stark realities of modern slavery, which is happening in every borough of London and beyond, and yet public awareness and understanding of this crime remains low. According to the report, fewer than one in five of the public said they would know how to spot someone experiencing modern slavery.

Hestia has supported over 6,000 victim-survivors in London alone over the past 13 years. Victims endure a range of serious abuses, from repeated physical and sexual violence to debt bondage and forced labour. This exploitation is too often overlooked or poorly understood. The report finds that the British public lack a full understanding of the means of control and coercion used by traffickers to exploit their victims. 

The findings of the report underscore the urgent need for a strengthened national response. The public also echoes this, expressing strong sentiments that more must be done to prevent modern slavery and to protect those impacted. 81% of the British public agree that the UK Government should do more to deter traffickers and those who commit modern slavery offences. Similarly, 78% of the public think more should be done to support victims of modern slavery.  

Only a minority of MPs surveyed believed that legislation passed by the previous Government – including the Illegal Migration Act and Nationality and Borders Act – will significantly reduce modern slavery in the UK (31%) or deter traffickers (41%).

This highlights a critical gap in the understanding of the true nature of the crime, which hinders efforts to tackle it effectively. Only through increased awareness, comprehensive legislation, and coordinated community efforts can modern slavery be effectively challenged in the UK.

As a result of this report, Hestia calls on policymakers, law enforcement, and the public to work together to address this growing issue, through the following 3 specific asks:

1. The Government must leverage the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill to address modern slavery and support victim-survivors, in order to align with public sentiment for stronger support for those exploited in the UK.
2. There must be a comprehensive review of the system for providing long-term support for victims, with the aim of helping victims to move towards recovery and enabling them to support prosecutions for the perpetrators.
3. Policymakers should commit to increased training to increase their understanding of the changing faces of modern slavery and prioritise actions to raise public awareness on identifying the signs of modern slavery.

Members of the public can show their support by writing to their MPs to ask that they ensure better support for survivors and better measures to tackle perpetrators.

Write to your MP.

Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive of Hestia said:

"Our findings show that modern slavery is not just an international issue; it is happening right here on our streets, in our communities, and it can impact anyone. The collective lack of awareness is a missed opportunity to enact change. It’s critical that policymakers understand what is happening in their constituencies, and that the public understand to look out for the signs of modern slavery. "

Alison Logier, Director of Modern Slavery Response at Hestia added:

"Modern slavery is evolving with criminal gangs using more sophisticated tactics to deceive and control victims. We need a whole-community approach to combat the increasingly complex modes of exploitation we are seeing, and to provide the necessary support for victim-survivors." 

Read the full report.