Alarming Labor Exploitation Numbers from the UK

[This story mentions suicide.]

Modern slavery can feel like something that happens far away, hidden from our daily lives. But increasingly, exploitation happens much closer to home, in the restaurants we frequent, in the hotels we stay, and behind the food we eat.

In the UK, labor exploitation is rising dramatically, according to new data from UK anti-slavery charity Unseen. Cases reported to the charity’s helpline rose 65% in 2025—reaching the highest level to date. Labor cases now account for some 70% of all potential victims identified through the charity’s helpline.

While much of the conversation surrounding modern slavery and forced labor focuses on international trade and global supply chains, less attention has been paid to everyday abuses happening all around us.

Unseen shared this example: Vihaan and Aditi moved from India to the UK in hopes of a better life. They found jobs in a restaurant but were soon pressured to work long hours, seven days a week without overtime pay, and in some cases, without being paid at all. The employer deducted money from their wages, saying they owed more than £30,000 in debts for visa-related costs, which initially hadn’t been mentioned.

Exhausted, stressed and with no way to repay their debts, they called Unseen’s helpline. Their case was referred to the police.

Exploitation like this is becoming all too common, according to the charity. And it’s not just in the UK. Visa dependency, recruitment fees, fear of deportation and language barriers make migrants acutely vulnerable to abusive employers in all destination countries.

ABC Australia highlighted the trend this week with its investigation into the country’s fruit and vegetable industry. Gershom Isaac of Papua New Guinea migrated to Australia in search of a better life. Instead he found himself working up to 12-hour days picking fruit and vegetables, while earning less than $7 an hour. At night he returned to squalid, overcrowded living conditions. The situation, he said, made him feel so hopeless, he has considered suicide.

As our understanding of modern slavery evolves to take in otherwise legitimate businesses as exploiters, so should our response. Indeed, governments are increasingly recognising that modern slavery isn’t confined to organised crime, but flourishes inside ordinary workplaces.

The UK’s Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has expanded its remit beyond agriculture to investigate labor exploitation in sectors such as hospitality, construction, food processing and car washes. Meanwhile, in the US, federal authorities are working with state and local agencies to root out exploitation in seemingly legitimate businesses.

Last summer, a joint US federal, state and local investigation broke up a trafficking ring in Nebraska, which was hiding in plain sight. They rescued 10 children and 17 adults from exploitative conditions at 14 hotels and beauty salons. The survivors were allegedly forced to work long hours for little or no pay while living in squalid housing.

These stories remind us that modern slavery exists in the most ordinary places, often in plain sight. And while governments have an essential role to play, and businesses must be held accountable, the work can’t end there. If another person’s freedom and human dignity are compromised for our convenience, each of us must speak up.

We should ask where and how products are made, support businesses that protect workers, and say when things don’t look right by reporting suspected exploitation. We must see the people behind the things we consume, and make choices that respect human dignity.