Live Simply July 2026
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Live Simply July 2026
Modern Slavery is Closer than you Think
Modern slavery exists in every part of the UK, often hidden in plain sight. You might see people trapped in slavery without even realising it. It could be someone working in a private home on your street, a worker at the local car wash, or the cleaner who empties your office bins each night.
Modern slavery takes many forms, including forced labour on cannabis farms, sexual exploitation, domestic slavery, and forcedlabour exploitation in agriculture, construction, retail, hospitality, nail bars, car washes, and manufacturing. It also affects children. Children are being coerced into ‘county lines’ drug trafficking and other forms of criminal activity.
The number of people identified as victims of modern slavery has been rising year on year, some estimates suggest there are more than 130,000 people trapped in slavery in the UK; 30% of these are children and 22% are British nationals.
Estimates also suggest that the UK imports around £20 billion worth of goods that are at risk of having been made with forced labour.
Spot the signs of modern slavery
Without knowing it, you might regularly see people who are in slavery. They don’t have to wear shackles, and they might appear to be going about their normal lives – but look closer and you might spot more worrying signs of slavery.
Here are a few signs to look out for. Someone in slavery might:
• Appear to be under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others
• Have few personal belongings, wear the same clothes every day or wear unsuitable clothes for work
• Not be able to move around freely, and they may not have access to personal identification
• Be reluctant to talk to strangers or officials including police officers or health workers
• Appear frightened or withdrawn, or show signs of physical or psychological abuse
• Be dropped off and collected for work always in the same way, especially at unusual times – very early or late at night
It can be difficult to spot the signs, but if you are concerned about someone, please call the modern slavery helpline 08000 121 700.
For more information see https://www.antislavery.org/
Why are there so many slaves in our country?
The Modern Slavery Act is not fit for purpose in preventing forced labour in business supply chains. That’s because the Act relies on businesses voluntarily reporting their actions in relation to forced labour. But crucially, it doesn’t compel businesses to prevent modern slavery or to act when they find evidence of modern slavery in their supply chain. It’s no surprise, then, that businesses are still profiting from forced labour with impunity.
What must be done?
We need to introduce much stronger laws that would prevent forced labour in supply chains, hold companies accountable for human rights abuses; open up access to justice for victims and level the playing field for businesses.
We should also enact laws that prevent goods made with forced labour from being imported to the UK. The EU and the US have introduced more stringent laws than the UK,These laws mean that the UK is at a greater risk of being a dumping ground for products made with forced labour. We cannot let this happen!
What action can you take?
The UK Government must step up its actions to tackle slavery. We need the UK Government to take seriously its responsibility to protect people from modern slavery and to hold businesses accountable for failing to prevent harm.
If you agree, please sign these petitions today:
Call for a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act
Call on the government to introduce much stronger laws that would prevent forced labour in supply chains and hold companies accountable for human rights abuses
Ban goods made with forced labour
Sign the petition demanding import controls so that the UK doesn’t become a dumping ground for goods made with forced labour
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