On Wednesday (April 17), the charity Unseen, which operates a helpline for people to report cases of modern slavery and exploitation, says it saw a "record number of calls in 2023, marking an increase for the fourth consecutive year."

In fact, the helpline registered a 19 percent increase, with the numbers of calls up from 9,779 in 2022 to 11,700 in 2023.

In a press release, Unseen said that the increase in calls "coincides with a 30 percent increase in potential victims identified within the UK adult social care sector."

The figures have been released as part of the helpline's annual assessment, which provides, the charity states, "one of the most detailed reports on the nature of modern slavery in the UK."

Also read: NGO report alleges UK policies put some migrants at greater risk of exploitation

An increase in potential victims of modern slavery in 2023

In 2023, 918 potential victims of modern slavery were indicated in the care sector, which marks a 30 percent increase from 2022's 708 figure.

Director of Unseen and co-author of the report Justine Carter said she thought it was "encouraging that we are continuing to see rising numbers of calls and contacts to the helpline, indicating that we are succeeding in raising awareness of the issue and mobilizing more people to act."

Carter called modern slavery and exploitation "heinous crimes that have no place in a modern, progressive UK that cares about human rights."

The charity says it also registered an 11 percent increase in the number of labor abuse cases, up from 464 in 2022 to 516 in 2023. It also reported a 21 percent increase in potential victims of criminal exploitation, up from 317 in 2022 to 385 in 2023.

Also read: UK survey of domestic workers reveals extent of employer abuse

Sexual exploitation cases down on numbers from 2022

Meanwhile, the number of sexual exploitation cases recorded at Unseen reduced in 2023 by 33 percent, from a high of 479 in 2022 to 319 in 2023. However, the number of potential victims indicated in sexual exploitation did not decrease "and remains consistent at 827, only seven fewer than in 2022."

Alongside cases of adult exploitation, Unseen says they registered 340 cases of minors found exploited in modern slavery cases. In fact in 2023, 10 percent of all modern slavery cases raised by the helpline involved minors.

The helpline said they had reports of four cases of organ harvesting in 2023. The first such case was reported just a year before in 2022. Organ harvesting, states Unseen, "has predominantly affected those in African and Asian communities."

They also saw forced surrogacy reported for the first time. In this case, Unseen said they identified a total of three potential victims. They described this as "another worrying emerging trend."

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'Forced surrogacy'

The German press agency dpa reported that one of the three cases "was thought to involve various types of exploitation," but added that the charity gave "no further details on any of the cases because of concerns about identifying" the victims.

However, it said that it defined "forced surrogacy" as involving "a potential victim forced or coerced into carrying a pregnancy for another individual."

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There was also an increase in what the charity terms "forced scamming," from 11 potential victims involved in two cases in 2022 to 41 potential victims across four cases in 2023.

Forced scamming, states Unseen's executive summary, "often involve groups of individuals forced into participating in online scams to fraudulently gain funds from unsuspecting members of the public."

Labor exploitation remained the most prevalent exploitation type, followed by sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and domestic servitude stated Unseen's press release. This, they added, "has remained consistent since the helpline was founded in 2016," just one year after then-Home Secretary Theresa May brought in the UK's Modern Slavery Act in 2015.

Indians top the numbers of potential victims

Across the whole of 2023, potential victims of modern slavery originated from 106 different countries, up from 99 in 2022. India now tops the list of those exploited for the first time, reported Unseen, followed by Romanians, Albanians, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Most of the cases of people coming from India were found to be involved in labor exploitation within the care sector, found Unseen. Previously, Romanian nationals had been the most common nationality reported for this every year.

Around 79 percent of exploiters are reported to be male and more than 20 percent of exploiters to be female. 99 of the potential victims of modern slavery were reported in Scotland, 93 potential victims and 11 cases were reported in Northern Ireland, 811 potential victims and 259 cases were reported in London, and 90 potential victims and 19 cases in South Wales.

Also watch: Modern slavery in the UK: How foreign domestic workers are exploited

'More help for victims'

Justine Carter from Unseen commented: "We remain concerned that the ever-increasing hostile environment in the UK towards migrants and foreign workers means that fewer people feel able to raise concerns and seek the help and support that they desperately need."

Carter added that "more needs to be done to encourage victims to come forward and to properly resource efforts to stamp out modern slavery and exploitation for good."

The UK's Independent Anti-Slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons meanwhile told dpa she felt concerned that "criminals are finding new and shockingly ruthless ways to exploit victims."

Earlier this year, Lyons told the Home Affairs Select Committee in parliament that she was worried that the government's priority seemed to have switched from tackling modern slavery to focusing on "illegal migration and small boats."

In 2023, there were over 17,000 potential victims of modern slavery, including any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced labor referred to the Home Office, marking a slight increase on the numbers of potential victims referred to the same department in 2022.

'Modern slavery is a barbaric crime'

In response to the latest findings, a UK government spokesperson told dpa: "Modern slavery is a barbaric crime and we are committed to ensuring that needs-based support is available to victims to help them rebuild their lives, and to working with first responders to ensure victims understand the support and protection available."

The spokesperson added that they were addressing "concerns about abuse within the health and care worker sector," by making sure that "providers in England are only able to sponsor migrant workers if they are undertaking activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission."

The findings contained in Unseen's data are used to help charities, the police, local and national governments and businesses inform their policies and wider anti-slavery strategies. The full report is due to be published next week on Friday, April 26.

Also read: UK clamps down on 'fake' human trafficking claims

Call the helpline for free

If you have a concern and would like to call the helpline yourself, calls are free and the helpline is staffed 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

The helpline can offer support for victims themselves, but can also advise police officers, NHS workers, local government employees and businesses about what to do if they suspect a case of modern slavery.

Members of the public can also get in touch with the helpline if they think they have seen something worrying that might indicate someone could be involved in modern slavery or might be at risk of being exploited.

Call the UK helpline free of charge on 08000121700

With dpa