In the wake of the U.K.’s Modern Slavery Act, there is no doubt that large companies are taking their obligations to monitor their supply chains for incidences of child, forced, or bonded labour seriously. But there is evidence to suggest that their focus—typically on suppliers and contractors working in developing countries with histories of lax controls, oversight and enforcement—may result in overlooking exploitation that is happening right under their noses in the United Kingdom.
Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence of slavery in the United Kingdom. Most recently, on 16 June a Nottingham landlord received an eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to human trafficking, two counts of forced labour, and fraud.
