Cost-of-living crisis affects modern slavery

More people could become victims of modern slavery due to financial pressures brought by the cost-of-living crisis, a charity has said.

Hope for Justice warns that growing poverty and financial uncertainty will make people more susceptible to exploitation.

Paul McAnulty, a spokesman for the charity, explains: "We are currently going through a cost of living crisis which has impacted so many households, pushed so many households into poverty.

"We know poverty is one of the biggest drivers into exploitation, as is homelessness and destitution, the links there are well known. Given what we are experiencing now...we are seeing more and more people susceptible to being exploited based on their economic situation."

Mr McAnulty also cautioned that the Ukraine crisis, which displaced millions, has brought new opportunities for criminals:

"The face of trafficking and exploitation is always evolving because exploiters are quite tenacious. The crisis in Ukraine has had a huge effect.

"10 million people displaced overnight by the conflict and from what we can gather from our humanitarian partners in the sector, traffickers were on border crossings".

Despite a growing threat of trafficking and modern slavery in the UK, the rate of prosecution is low due to victims being scared to come forward. Hope for Justice adds:

"When we talk about the low conversion rates from how many investigations end up as prosecutions, it's basically because we've got the relationship wrong.

"We currently prioritise perpetrator accountability and the criminal justice outcome over victim care, and then there are a lot of victim-blaming narratives".

"No one wants to support a prosecution if they are facing homelessness, deportation, criminalisation, or if they don't know where their next meal is coming from".

CARE campaigns for stronger protections in law for confirmed victims of modern slavery, including at least 12-months of statutory support.

In recent weeks, CARE has expressed concerns about proposed changes to modern slavery laws designed to curb illegal immigration to the UK.

Policy team members will be working closely with parliamentarians to ensure genuine victims are not subjected to wrongful treatment by authorities.