Today (20 March 2019), Hestia unveils the reality of modern slavery in London, publishing statistics based on the individuals supported within our Modern Slavery Response team.

In 2018, 6,993 potential victims of modern slavery were referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) across the UK, seeing a 36% increase on the number of individuals referred in 2017.Of these, 60% were male, the main type of exploitation was labour exploitation and the top nationality of victims of modern slavery was British.

In London, the picture is different. In 2018, we supported 1,135 adults and 507 dependent children to recover from the trauma of modern slavery. The key statistics:

• 75% of the individuals we supported were women
• The most prevalent form of exploitation was sexual exploitation
• The top nationality of those we supported was Albanian
• The top London borough of the people we support was Croydon

For the full picture of the extent of modern slavery in London last year, read our latest Underground Lives fact sheet below.

Underground Lives: The Reality of Modern Slavery in London in 2018 (Fact Sheet) March 2019 The fact sheet reveals the true face of modern slavery in London in 2018.

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About our Modern Slavery Response service

Hestia's Modern Slavery Response service started in 2011, providing safe houses in London and Kent as well as pan-London outreach support in every London borough to those affected. Since the service started, we have supported over 2,500 victims, including 839 adults and 317 dependent children in 2017/2018 alone.

Our Phoenix Project empowers members of the public to come together and volunteer their time to support victims of modern slavery in their local community. Through your support and skills, you could change the life of someone affected by this brutal crime.

Volunteer for the Phoenix Project

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About Underground Lives

Hestia is the main organisation supporting victims of modern slavery in London. We campaign and advocate for victims of modern slavery to ensure their voices are heard and they get the  support they need to rebuild their lives.

In 2017, Hestia released the first report in the ‘Underground Lives’ series to reveal the true face of modern slavery in London. 

Our latest 'Underground Lives' report revealed the impact of modern slavery on male victims, highlighting that half had slept rough.

Read our Underground Lives reports