IASC Warns Rising Living Costs And Technology Drive Record Modern Slavery In Britain

Britain’s independent anti-slavery commissioner (IASC) warned that rising living costs and new technology are driving record levels of modern slavery, with over 23,000 potential victims referred to the monitoring group in 2025.

“- Published The rising cost of living and new technology are leading to record levels of exploitation in the UK, the independent anti-slavery commissioner (IASC) has warned”

BBC

The BBC reported that the figure was “a 22% increase on the previous year and the highest number ever recorded,” and said the report published on Monday warned people trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation will become harder to detect unless urgent action is taken against criminal networks.

BBC

GB News said the IASC released a report on Monday showing “over 23,000 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the monitoring group in 2025 - the highest number ever recorded,” and added that the report highlighted the risk that artificial intelligence and digital platforms pose for modern slavery.

The Mirror similarly framed the growth as technology-enabled, warning that “Artificial intelligence is helping to fuel a 600% rise in modern slavery,” while also citing record levels of victims being identified.

The BBC said the report draws together evidence from more than 50 organisations to analyse how exploitation may evolve, and it pointed to three main factors driving the rise: “rising living costs, debt and insecure work.”

It also warned that conflict and displacement around the world are making it easier for traffickers to exploit vulnerable people, and that AI and digital platforms enable traffickers to “recruit, groom and control victims at scale.”

Eleanor Lyons, appointed IASC in October 2023, told the BBC that the report underlined “how exploitation is increasingly affecting people within the UK,” and she said “It will spread further and become harder to stop unless we act now.”

The IASC report described a referral pattern in 2025 that included the UK as the largest single group, with Eritrean nationals and Vietnamese nationals also featuring prominently.

The BBC said “More than a fifth of potential victims in 2025 were from the UK, the largest single group,” and it gave the next-largest groups as “Eritrean nationals (13%)” followed by “Vietnamese nationals (9).”

El Mexicano

GB News reported similar proportions, saying “While more than a fifth of potential victims were from the UK, 13 per cent were found to be from Eritrea - representing the second largest group - and nine per cent were from Vietnam.”

The Mirror provided more granular figures, stating that the most common nationalities referred into the system in 2025 were UK “accounting for more than a fifth of all referrals (22% or 5,110), followed by Eritrean (13%; 3,083) and Vietnamese (9%; 1,998).”

It also claimed a longer-term comparison, saying the 23,411 referrals represented “an increase of 617% since 2015 when there was 3,263 referrals.”

Oz Arab Media echoed the same overall count and percentage change, saying “In 2025, over 23,000 potential victims were referred to the monitoring group, marking a 22% increase from the previous year and the highest number ever recorded,” and it repeated that Eritrean nationals accounted for 13% and Vietnamese nationals represented 9%.

In the BBC account, the report’s warning was not only about numbers but about detection, stating that “people trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation will become harder to detect in the coming years unless urgent action is taken against criminal networks.”

The report warned that technology is reshaping how exploitation happens, with AI and digital platforms described as enabling criminals to recruit and control victims at scale.

“New Zealand is finally moving toward its first comprehensive framework against modern slavery”

FreedomUnited.org

GB News said the report warned that “artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms had become a "force multiplier" for criminal trafficking gangs.”

It added that the report noted that “social media, encrypted services, and commercial platforms" were being used to exploit victims through online grooming and pop-up brothels, with sexual exploitation of girls in Britain rising 54 per cent in the last five years.

The BBC said AI and digital platforms are enabling traffickers to "recruit, groom and control victims at scale" and described the report’s analysis of how exploitation may evolve.

The Mirror went further, warning that AI-enabled scams, deepfakes, synthetic identities, and new forms of digital labour exploitation were expanding the pool of victims and making exploitation more difficult to detect, it was claimed.

In the BBC interview, Lyons said it is “predominantly British boys and girls who are being exploited by criminals,” and she explained that children can be exploited through chat functions in video games, as perpetrators gain their trust this way, buying them tokens and targeting vulnerable children.

She described the process as “the beginning of a journey of grooming and blackmail,” and said “That's risen by over 50% in the last five years and its happening younger and younger,” referring to sexual exploitation of girls.

Alongside the warning, the sources described the government’s stance and the IASC’s calls for changes across multiple public bodies.

GB News quoted a Home Office spokesman saying, “Modern slavery is a global scourge that abuses and exploits people for profit,” and the spokesman added, “We are committed to reviewing the modern slavery system to reduce opportunities for misuse of the system, whilst also ensuring that we have the right protections for those who need it.”

GB News

The spokesman also said, “We are working with brave survivors to inform policy development and improve the process of identifying victims,” and that the department had “taken immediate action to reduce the backlog of cases, ensuring victims get swift decisions and the support they need to rebuild their lives.”

The BBC similarly reported the Home Office position, stating it is “committed to reviewing the modern slavery system to reduce opportunities for misuse of the system, whilst also ensuring that we have the right protections for those who need it,” and it added that the department is working with survivors and has taken action to reduce case backlogs.

GB News said Lyons urged the Government to introduce mitigations across the Foreign Office, Home Office, Police, Ministry of Justice, HMRC, and a number of other public bodies.

It also said the report proposes “further funding and training for specialist police units and fines for businesses found to have breached anti-exploitation rules.”

The sources also reiterated the legal framework, with the BBC stating that the Modern Slavery Act 2015 “brought together existing anti-exploitation offences into one law,” and it “introduced a new defence for victims of slavery and trafficking who have been forced to break the law.”

Separate from the IASC report’s broad picture of modern slavery, other sources described a specific UK police operation involving alleged sexual assault, forced marriage, and modern slavery.

“€17,000 in profits: a British couple who forced young women to prostitute themselves 20 hours a day ends up in court”

Le Tribunal du Net

El Mexicano reported that “Nueve personas, entre ellas dos mexicanos, fueron detenidos” in a raid against a religious community in Crewe, and it said the case involved allegations of “agresión sexual y esclavitud moderna.”

Le Tribunal du Net

XEVT stated that two Mexicans were detained in a raid against a sect in the UK, investigated for “presuntos delitos de agresión sexual, matrimonio forzado y esclavitud moderna,” and it said the operation was carried out by the “Unidad de Operaciones Especiales de la Policía de Cheshire” with “500 agentes,” with Europol collaborating.

Proyecto Puente and El Mexicano both said the investigation focused on the organization Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, described as allegedly founded in 2015 by Abdullah Hashem, an Egyptian-American citizen presenting himself as spiritual leader.

Proyecto Puente said the arrests stem from “una denuncia recibida el mes pasado” by a former adherent, reporting alleged offenses committed in 2023, and it said the group established its headquarters in Crewe two years earlier, where “150 simpatizantes” live.

El Mexicano reported that among the arrested were two Mexican men of 30 years, one accused of “trata de seres humanos, agresiones sexuales y matrimonio forzado,” and the other accused of “explotación y delitos sexuales,” and it also named a Spanish citizen of 35 years accused of “violación, agresión sexual, violencia y matrimonio forzado.”

Both Proyecto Puente and El Mexicano quoted Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley stressing that the inquiry was not about religion, and the sources said three properties linked to the organization were searched and that investigations remained open.