A recent report published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suggests even higher estimates of modern slavery than previous studies.

According to the report, around 50 million people are trapped in forced labour or forced marriages – an increase of nearly 10 million from 2016. In total, around 27.6 million people are currently in forced labour, including 3.3 million children. Alongside providing increased figures it cites disruption to income because of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to greater indebtedness among workers and a rise in debt bondage, a form of modern slavery.

Sean Elson of Pinsent Masons said: “This report is a timely reminder that, far from being a problem that the world is getting to grips with, in many ways our handle on forced labour is actually deteriorating. While there have been several high-profile prosecutions in the UK and elsewhere against gangmasters and traffickers, these are only the primary offenders.

Governments alone cannot stamp out forced labour, which is why corporate responsibility will be central to tackling the issue. Encouragingly, a lot of work is already being done around businesses setting standards and monitoring their supply chains

He added: “The report may inform the UK’s approach and its stated intention to upgrade domestic law and compel improvements from organisations on supply chain transparency and risk assessment. This reform would follow similar steps being taken globally – in particular across the EU – which...

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