In 2026, modern slavery is a growing and systemic issue, found throughout the global and local systems and supply chains we depend upon. The numbers of people trapped in forced labour have reached unprecedented levels and are estimated to continue to rise in the coming years.
Earlier this month, the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s (IASC’s) report on ‘Anticipating Exploitation: A Futures Analysis’ highlighted the rapidly growing rate of exploitation here in the UK, and the failure in the systems designed to prevent it. These exploitative practices are driven and sustained by unsafe migratory routes, opaque supply chains and downward pressure to cut costs.
With the number of people exploited within the UK reaching a record high, alongside rising global estimates of forced labour and exploitative practices, the message is clear: a lot more needs to be done to prevent modern slavery and improve conditions for workers.
This blog kicks off a new series from CLC exploring the realities of modern slavery in global supply chains. We will look at what root causes are driving the rise in exploitative practices, the reality for workers, and what meaningful business action looks like.
What is modern slavery?
Modern slavery is an umbrella term which includes human rights violations such as human trafficking, debt bondage, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and forced labour. It involves the deception and coercion of a person for the purpose of exploitation. A person in modern slavery is unable to leave their situation or refuse exploitative conditions due to threats, violence, coercion or abuse of power.
Forced labour is the most common form of modern slavery, found within business supply chains across the world. It occurs where workers are trapped in exploitative conditions, unable to leave due to threats, debt bondage or abuse. They may have been recruited under false pretences, had their passport retained, their freedom of movement restricted or their wages stolen.
Some of the main driving factors for the risk of forced labour come from the nature of typical international supply chains – with opacity, high rates of outsourcing, downward pressure on prices and persistently weak legal protections. These combine to heighten the risk of abuse for the most vulnerable workers.
What does this look like in the UK?
In 2025, 23,411 potential survivors of modern slavery were referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This is the highest number recorded (and a 22% increase from 2024). Of those referred, labour exploitation was the most common form of exploitation – at 36% of all cases.
The IASC’s report outlines the presence of modern slavery across multiple sectors including construction, hospitality, the care and cleaning sectors, particularly in industries that rely on temporary labour, migrant workers, subcontracting, and extremely low costs.
It also highlights the ineffectiveness of the existing UK Modern Slavery Act at combatting modern slavery and delivering improvement for workers in supply chains. It warns that ‘exploitation is evolving faster than the systems designed to detect it’.
Drivers of vulnerability in 2026
The rise in modern slavery is not happening in isolation. Several systemic factors are converging to increase the vulnerability of some workers, and expand the conditions in which exploitation thrives.
Some of the key factors in 2026 are:
- Poverty conditions and the cost-of-living crisis:
- In the UK rising living costs, debt, and insecure employment are key drivers leading to an increase in modern slavery. Similarly, people trapped in poverty conditions remains one of the most significant drivers of vulnerability to exploitation globally.
- Lack of access to safe, decent work:
- Where formal, protected employment is unavailable or inaccessible, workers are forced into informal, unregulated forms of labour. This is exacerbated by a reduction of safe and legal pathways into work for migrant workers in the UK.
- Global displacement due to climate and conflict:
- Rising geopolitical instability, war, and conflicts are creating a growing number of people who are displaced, without support systems, and facing increased risks. Similarly, climate-induced displacement is resulting in people forced to migrate due to drought, flooding or fires, and becoming increasingly vulnerable to modern slavery.
- Exploitation through the platform economy:
- The growth of platform economy work is increasing the risk of exploitation, particularly for migrant workers. The sector is characterised by a lack of security, poor working conditions, opacity, and an erosion of employment protections.
- Restrictions on Freedom of Association:
- The International Trade Union Confederation found that workers in three-quarters of countries were denied the right to freedom of association and to organise, with 80% of countries limiting collective bargaining and 72% denying workers access to justice. This suppression means that exploitation is frequently not identified or addressed before abuses escalate, leaving workers largely unprotected.
Looking forward
If exploitation is evolving faster than the systems designed to detect it, then governments and businesses need to act with urgency and coordination.
In recent years, we’ve seen governments across the world enacting due diligence legislation and modern slavery laws, as well as forced labour import controls; each driving (to a greater or lesser extent) a historic shift in business requirements to address modern slavery in supply chains. It is no longer just a moral imperative for business.
For businesses – this means moving beyond tick-box compliance exercises to implementing effective Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD): assessing where the risk is highest across their operations and supply chains; prioritising meaningful stakeholder engagement; protecting workers facing the greatest vulnerability; and measuring the impact of their actions.
Is your business effectively addressing the risk of modern slavery in your own operations and supply chain? Get in touch for guidance, support or advice.
Over the coming weeks, CLC will be exploring these drivers, as well as others in more depth. We will be focusing on what they mean for workers, for supply chains, and how businesses need to be acting to address these risks. We will look at what meaningful due diligence looks like in practice, how legislation is shifting the landscape, and how companies can move from commitment to action.
CLC is a responsible business advisory practice – specialising in human rights due diligence, responsible sourcing, and social impact measurement. We help organisations move from insight to impact.
