A new report warns that modern slavery in the UK has reached unprecedented levels, with British nationals now the most common victims. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) says artificial intelligence (AI) and the cost-of-living crisis are driving a sharp increase in exploitation.
Official data shows referrals of potential victims to the Home Office hit a record 23,411 in 2025, up more than a fifth on the previous year. UK nationals accounted for 22% of all referrals (5,110), the highest of any nationality, followed by Eritrean (13%) and Vietnamese (9%).
The IASC report, published on Tuesday, warns that AI and other technologies are helping traffickers “identify, recruit and control victims at scale”. It cites AI-enabled scams, deepfakes, synthetic identities, and new forms of digital labour exploitation that make detection harder.
Examples include “debt bonding”, where victims receive virtual gifts to create a sense of obligation, and “remote mothering”, where perpetrators pose as protective figures and manipulate victims into installing tracking apps. Commissioner Eleanor Lyons said offenders are “operating with greater anonymity, scale and reach” online.
Economic pressures are also fuelling the crisis. “Rising living costs, debt and insecure work are creating conditions in which exploitation can take hold,” Lyons said. The report warns that without a change in approach, exploitation will become “more digital, and more deeply embedded in everyday economic and social activity”.
Looking ahead, the report predicts growth in AI-enabled fraud, online sexual exploitation, and the use of cryptocurrency to launder criminal earnings. It also warns of emerging risks such as forced surrogacy and organ harvesting, driven by global demand and unregulated markets.
