The number of modern slavery cases reported within the UK care industry has more than doubled in the past year. There were 109 potential victims exploited for personal or financial gain between January and March 2023 – twice as many as the same period in 2022. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority’s (“GLAA”) role is to protect workers from labour exploitation across the UK. The GLAA state they currently have more than 300 ongoing care sector investigations.
Why is this happening?
The government has made it easier for overseas social care staff to work in the UK post-Brexit, which has led to an increase in the supply chain and the potential for exploitation. In the year to March, the government issued 102,000 skilled worker, health and care visas to foreign workers – that’s up 171% on the previous year. The total number of potential victims of modern slavery referred to the Home Office in 2022 was almost 17,000, the highest number ever recorded. This number is expected to rise further in 2023. However, prosecuting cases of modern slavery is extremely difficult, as half of the cases logged by police forces last year were closed because offenders could not be tracked down. Furthermore, the Illegal Migration Bill, which recently passed into law on 20 July 2023, will make it even harder to support vulnerable victims of modern slavery. This new law allows the government to legally detain and remove all people who unlawfully enter the UK. It is expected that gangmasters will leverage this as a threat to dissuade people from reporting them.
What is being said?
Ian Waterfield, Head of Enforcement at GLAA said:
“The care industry has gone from not being on their radar to becoming a top priority in the past 18 months.”
Sara Thornton, the former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner said:
“Victims of modern slavery are extremely vulnerable. They will be in terror of the people who’ve trafficked or enslaved them, who will tell them there’s no point going to the police or the local authority or a charity because they won’t support you.”
