London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

More children than adults flagged as potential slavery victims last year

More children than adults flagged as potential slavery victims last year

County lines drug dealing blamed for figures in annual report from UK’s anti-slavery commissioner
More children than adults were flagged as potential victims of slavery for the first time last year due to county lines drug dealing, according to the annual report from the independent anti-slavery commissioner.

The commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton, found that during a few months in 2020, there were more children than adults referred to what is known as the national referral mechanism (NRM) – a facility that allows their trafficking claims to be explored and where they can access support.

“Despite lockdown, county lines exploitation of children has continued. Methods of recruitment have shifted online and models for distributing drugs have diversified,” the report said. It added that children have become involved in violence, intimidation and cuckooing in the drug market.

In 2020/21, 10,689 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the NRM, 4,849 of them children. The figure was a reduction of 634 on the 2019/20 referral figure.

According to Crown Prosecution Service data, prosecutions for offences flagged as modern slavery decreased from 349 in 2019 to 267 in 2020 – a fall of 23%. Over the same period, convictions reduced from 251 to 197 – a fall of 22%.

Thornton’s report calls for substantial child protection activity to support exploited children and highlights a lack of safeguarding. Not prosecuting children and vulnerable adults exploited in modern slavery situations is not enough to protect them if safeguarding is not available too, it added.

“I continue to have significant concerns about the safeguarding response for child victims of trafficking. Access to this specialist support for children should not be a postcode lottery,” the report states.

The pandemic heightened the risks for those already exploited, increased the risks that more people will face exploitation and has disrupted responses to the problem of trafficking. Brexit and the political focus on immigration also have the potential to have an impact on modern slavery, according to Thornton.

She said charities had raised concerns on behalf of non-UK trafficking victims that there was a risk victims may not come forward due to fears their information would be shared with immigration enforcement officials.

There was also criticism of inconsistency in the approach to human trafficking among police regional organised crime units (ROCUs).

“The traditional culture in ROCUs is more comfortable dealing with drug trafficking and illegal firearms than vulnerable victims. This needs to change,” the report said.

Thornton also expressed concern that when towns and cities shut down due to the pandemic, vulnerable workers in places such as nail bars and car washes disappeared from view.

“It is suspected that some forms of exploitation became even more hidden in supply chains,” she said.

“While some progress has been made, there is still much to do to support victims to become survivors living lives of sustainable independence,” she concluded.

Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins said: “We are committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery, enabling victims to rebuild their lives and help them reintegrate into a community after the unimaginable abuse they had suffered. There is a wide range of specialist support available for potential and confirmed victims, including safe house accommodation, financial help and access to a support worker.

“Our approach delivers personalised, needs-based support, which ensures the victim receives the appropriate support for their needs. We are embarking on an ambitious transformation of the national referral mechanism, including the continued rollout of the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian service, an independent source of advice for trafficked children, which is now available in total [in] two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×