At what cost? Exploring the impact of forced labour in the UK

Often, the term forced or compulsory labour conjures up images of child labour in cocoa farms
in Africa or the state-imposed exploitation of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang Province, China. However, the recent high profile case of victims exploited by a Czech crime family in a Cambridgeshire
McDonald’s fast food restaurant and a London bakery supplying several of our largest supermarket
chains shows the reality of forced or compulsory labour in our own UK industries. This report reveals
forced or compulsory labour is the second most common form of modern slavery embedded in the
UK. Since October 2019, 16,432 people referred to the Home Office for modern slavery in the UK (in
full or in part) reported forced or compulsory labour.

Forced or compulsory labour is a form of modern slavery where someone is coerced or deceived into
working for little or no pay, or when someone else has control of their wages or victims are forced to
work to pay off excessive and illegitimate debts. It is often accompanied by threats and physically demanding or unsafe working conditions. This report explores the most pressing challenges presented
by forced or compulsory labour in our country and its impact on our communities. It also sets out
how the new government must address these challenges if it is to achieve its commitments to a “New
Deal for Working People” and to “Take back our Streets”.

Download full report