Record levels of modern slavery in UK with 22% jump in referrals | 5 News

► It is “predominantly British boys and girls who are being exploited by criminals”. A new report on modern slavery has revealed that more than a fifth of potential victims of modern slavery in 2025 were from the UK, the largest single group. Over 23,000 potential victims were referred to the Independent Anti-Slavery Commission (IASC) last year, a 22% increase on the previous year and the highest number ever recorded. The report, which comes more than 10 years after the Modern Slavery Act came into force, blames the rising cost of living and new technology for the spike in cases. ► Have you subscribed to 5 News?: http://bit.ly/5NewsSub ► Follow 5 News on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news - https://twitter.com/5_News Message us on Facebook to share your opinion - https://www.facebook.com/c5News See our latest pictures and videos on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/c5news/ ► About 5 News: We bring you the stories that matter to you, from around the world and across the UK. 🎥 We post daily playlists with the biggest news of the day, interviews, special reports and investigations. 📺 Catch us on TV on Channel 5 every weekday 5-6pm 📱 Get in touch with us on WhatsApp at +44 7555 500 501 🎧 Listen to "How Did We Get Here? Explaining The News" wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/how-did-we-get-here-explaining-the-news Our flagship, hour-long programme at 5pm is watched on Channel 5 by up to a million viewers, with regular news updates throughout the day. ITN changed the TV news landscape when it launched 5 News in 1997, producing Five News for nine years before winning the contract to supply news to Channel 5 again from 2012.