Skip to content
Focus on
Labour
Exploitation
person sitting in front bookshelf

Press

We provide background information, comment, and advice to the media on labour exploitation, modern slavery, labour migration, labour market enforcement, and related issues, such as the impact of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine on risk of labour exploitation.

For media requests, please contact FLEX’s Communications Officer at [email protected].

Media appearances

National World 16.03.23

Modern slavery: people traffickers ‘emboldened’ as charges brought in fewer than one in 50 cases

The Grocer 20.03.23

Labour agencies to face supermarket scrutiny over exploitation claims

National World 13.03.23

Devolved nations slam Home Office for leaving top anti-slavery job vacant for almost a year amid migrant crackdown

National World 08.03.23

Small boats crisis: what does UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill mean for trafficking victims?

BBC World Service 02.03.23

A Story of Modern Slavery in the UK

Guardian 22.02.23

Farm workers on UK seasonal visas to be guaranteed 32 hours a week

Guardian 13.02.23

Modern slavery survivors could be retrafficked in UK, charities warn

Politics Home 09.02.23

The UK is failing victims of modern slavery

National World 30.01.23

Tough new rules to crackdown on ‘abuse’ of modern slavery laws by criminals

Financial Times 27.01.23

UK farmers stop recruiting Nepalese workers after exploitation warning

Financial Times 19.12.22

Investors warn food companies about risk of forced labour on UK farms

Grocery Gazette 14.11.22

Seasonal fruit pickers face thousands in debt as UK farm work cut short

Observer 13.11.22

Seasonal fruit pickers left thousands in debt after being sent home early from UK farms

International Bar Association 08.11.22

Modern slavery: Calls grow for root causes to be addressed

National World 04.11.22

Migrant crisis: Home Office ‘appears to be acting unlawfully’ by failing to appoint Anti-Slavery Commissioner

Left Food Forward 04.11.22

How Brexit has led to a rise in the exploitation of migrant workers

Media Storm Podcast 27.10.22

“Low-Skilled”: The exploitation of Eastern European workers

Open Democracy 21.10.22

The UK government is undermining decades of anti-slavery efforts

Guardian 13.10.22

Home Office reclassifies modern slavery as illegal immigration issue

Open Democracy 05.10.22

Government prepared to block modern slavery survivors to prevent ‘bogus’ claims

Guardian 04.10.22

Number of potential trafficking victims locked up in UK triples in four years

Guardian 29.09.22

Review of UK seasonal worker visas to increase risk of slavery, experts warn

Byline Times 06.09.22

Modern Slavery Victims: Pawns in the Government’s Anti-Asylum Seeker Campaigns

Observer 01.08.22

Live-in care workers ‘have pay docked by agencies to cover accommodation’

Guardian 14.07.22

Farah case highlights fate of less famous victims of trafficking

Guardian 03.07.22

Human traffickers ‘using UK universities as cover’

The Grocer 10.06.22

Concerns over criminals using seasonal worker visa to exploit labourers

Guardian 28.03.22

‘Scandal in plain sight’: charities call for help for Ukrainian seasonal workers

Byline Times 08.03.22

International Women’s Day: Victims of Sexual Exploitation Referred to Immigration Enforcement

Independent 03.03.22

Ukrainian refugees at ‘acute risk of exploitation by human traffickers’, charities warn

Guardian 26.01.22

Huge rise in number of trafficking victims in UK immigration detention

Guardian 12.01.22

‘No running water’: foreign workers criticise UK farm labour scheme

Swiss Broadcasting Agency 30.12.21

Interview with FLEX on post-Brexit immigration and labour exploitation (in Italian, from 21.14 mins)

Financial Times 21.12.21

Against the odds: the struggles of migrants to build a business

Neue Zürcher Zeitung 05.12.21

Grossbritannien, ein Eldorado für irreguläre Migranten?

Brave New Europe 25.11.21

Gig Economy Project: 59% of UK riders have no financial support when ill or injured, new study finds

Independent 12.11.21

New Home Office policy risks ‘driving human trafficking victims underground’, experts warn

Sky News 29.10.21

COVID-19: Pandemic left vulnerable workers open to abuse and exploitation, says report by charity

Sky News video clip featuring FLEX and IWGB

The Courier 20.10.21

Warning that Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban terror risk exploitation in UK

Voice of Islam 18.10.21

Anti-Slavery Day 2021 radio broadcast (from 20 mins)

Guardian 12.10.21

Britain is learning the hard way that migration can’t be turned on or off like a tap

Left Food Forward 05.10.21 

Revealed: The new visa scheme for lorry drivers leaves thousands at risk of exploitation

BBC Countryfile 03.10.21

Investigation into risks of exploitation in agriculture and Seasonal Workers Pilot, available here (from 7 minutes)

Documentary 08.09.21 

Britain’s immigration law: the women it doesn’t protect

Facilitate Magazine 14.07.21

Research reveals hospitality as ‘high-risk for labour abuse’

Morning Star 13.07.21

Hospitality workers subjected to ‘systemic exploitation and abuse,’ study finds

Byline Times 03.07.21

New Immigration Plan Will Crackdown on Genuine Modern Slavery Victims Even More than the Government Already Does

The Grocer 02.07.21

Slave labour warnings raised amid labour shortages

Jacobin Magazine 06.06.21

In Britain, Seasonal Farm Laborers Toil for Subminimum-Wage Piece Rates

The Ferret 18.04.21

Marks and Spencer to up welfare checks on migrant farm workers after rights fears

Byline Times 24.03.21

Home Office Pushing Through Changes to Detention Without Any Public Debate or Scrutiny

Mirror 18.03.21

Workers live like ‘slaves’ in caravans after coming to UK under promise of jobs

Immigration News 17.03.21

Human Trafficking Risks for Britains Low Paid Seasonal Workers

Farming UK 17.03.21

Charity warns Seasonal Workers Pilot risks human trafficking

Farmers Guardian 17.03.21

Seasonal workers scheme accused of fuelling ‘exploitative’ working conditions

Farmers Weekly 17.03.21

Concern for migrant workers on government labour scheme

Reuters 16.03.21

Brexit farm workers scheme found fueling risk of slavery in UK

The Courier 16.03.21

Human trafficking risk as seasonal workers feel like ‘slaves’

Financial Times 16.03.21

Brexit: the low-paid migrant workers ‘trapped’ on Britain’s farms

Yahoo Finance 23.02.21

Cleaners’ union warns of rising job cuts and poverty as furlough cut-off looms

Yorkshire Evening Post 18.02.21

‘Urgent’ call for Parliament to resume modern slavery inquiry to address Brexit and Covid concerns

Blackpool Gazette & Lancashire Post 15.02.21

‘Urgent’ call from charities for Parliament to resume modern slavery inquiry to address concerns over Brexit and Covid

Wigan Today & Blackpool Gazette 15.02.21

Ban on slavery victims with criminal convictions accessing compensation ‘unlawful’, campaigners say

Reuters 23.01.21

OPINION: Who is really responsible for the Essex truck deaths? (republished from 30.10.19 following the sentencing of those involved)

Reuters 21.01.21

UK officials struggle to persuade suspected modern slaves to accept help

Financial Times 18.01.21

UK workplace sexual harassment rules not enforced say researchers

Reuters 01.12.20

OPINION: UK crackdown on homelessness fuels modern slavery fears

Independent 01.12.20

Home Office plans to deport foreign rough sleepers will ‘play into hands of traffickers’, Priti Patel warned

Politics Home 25.09.20

The Government Has Been Warned That Modern Slavery Could Be Surging During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Le Monde 22.07.20

Travail illegal: le lourd secret de Leicester

Byline Times 21.07.20

Leicester’s open secret has been spilled by the Coronavirus pandemic

Guardian 17.07.20

Labour abuses happening ‘at scale’ far beyond Leicester

Reuters 14.07.20

Fashion brands like Boohoo urged to help UK suppliers address labour abuses

Guardian 14.07.20

Priti Patel is wrong, modern slavery in Leicester is built on her government’s failures

The Times Radio 13.07.20

Live broadcast on the reports of worker exploitation in Leicester garment factories

Reuters 08.07.20

How can Britain stop fashion brands like Boohoo exploiting workers?

TalkRadio 02.07.20

Live broadcast on the reports of workers being forced to work sick and through lockdown in Leicester garment factories

Reuters 04.06.20

Fewer suspected modern slaves uncovered in UK under coronavirus

Reuters 02.06.20

Applauded as ‘essential’, treated as disposable, migrant workers deserve protection from exploitation

Politics.co.uk 18.05.20

Government immigration plans risk increase in modern slavery

Mirror 06.05.20

Coronavirus could trigger surge in modern slavery, campaigners warn government

Al Jazeera 01.05.20

Coronavirus exposes UK low-wage essential workers to exploitation

VICE 30.04.20

Experts worry that post-lockdown world could see a surge of exploitation and ‘modern slavery’

Sunday Times 19.04.20

Co-signatory to letter published regarding South Asian workers and COVID-19 impacts

Financial Times 14.04.20

Sackings and ineligibility for benefits deepen migrants’ plight in crisis

NBC News 02.04.20

Suspected slavery surges in UK

Reuters 02.04.20

Suspected slavery surges in UK

Home Care Insight 02.03.20

Hostile immigration rules to hit elderly and vulnerable the hardest

Guardian 21.02.20

Immigration rules post-Brexit could fuel modern slavery

BBC One Inside Out – North East and Cumbria 03.02.20

Live broadcast commentary on prevention of exploitation (available here from at 06:50 minutes in)

TalkRadio 30.01.20

Live broadcast interview regarding rise in modern slavery referrals within London (available here from 22 minutes in)

Independent 26.01.20

Boris Johnson rows back on proposal to introduce amnesty for undocumented migrants

Financial Times 17.01.20

University cleaner case raises labour rules concerns

Independent 01.01.20

Surge in suspected modern slavery victims waiting years for Home Office decisions

Reuters 31.12.19

Scapegoats to supply chains: five aims for anti-slavery in 2020

BBC News 02.12.19

‘Exploited’ workers propping up the building sector

Independent 14.11.19

Thirty potential modern slavery victims referred to Home Office each day amid surge in cases, figures show

Independent 05.11.19

‘Traumatised’ Vietnamese man detained in UK for two years despite evidence he was trafficking victim

Reuters 30.10.19

UK truck deaths reignite calls to tackle nail bar slavery

Reuters 30.10.19

Opinion: Who is really responsible for the Essex truck deaths?

Reuters 29.10.19

Expert Views: UK truck deaths cast spotlight on global trade in humans

Huffington Post 26.10.19

Opinion piece: After the Essex lorry deaths, what will it take to realise harder borders causes these tragedies?

BBC – Victoria Derbyshire Live 25.10.19

Live broadcast interview regarding the death of 39 people in a lorry, identified in Grays, Essex; clip available here

VRT Belgium 25.10.19

Live broadcast interview regarding the death of 39 people in a lorry, identified in Grays, Essex; clip available here

Sky News 24.10.19

Live broadcast interview regarding the death of 39 people in a lorry, identified in Grays, Essex

BBC 5 Live 23.10.19

Live broadcast interview regarding the death of 39 people in a lorry, identified in Grays, Essex

Reuters 22.10.19

Gig economy is ‘extreme exploitation’ says director Ken Loach

Reuters 18.10.19

UK urged to stop human traffickers exploiting Brexit uncertainty

The Independent 18.10.19

More than 1,000 modern slavery victims discovered in Britain last year

Reuters 18.10.19

Five years on, is the UK’s landmark anti-slavery law fit for purpose?

Reuters 18.10.19

Is putting teeth into the Modern Slavery Act the solution to stop corporate supply chain exploitation?

The Sun 14.10.19

Number of British modern slavery victims soars by 72%

The Independent 14.10.19

Number of British modern slavery victims up 72% in a year, figures show

Government Europa 18.09.19

Labour exploitation: Brexit to increase ‘conveyor belt’ of trafficked migrants

The Independent 16.09.19

Brexit uncertainty could leave thousands of trafficking victims in uncertainty

Futures of Work 31.07.19

The UK’s future migration system: denying migrant workers’ humanity? 

Reuters 30.07.19

UK government must stop detaining victims of trafficking under immigration powers

The Independent 29.07.19

The Home Office is locking up victims of slavery. Will Priti Patel do the right thing and end this?

The Independent 29.07.19

Home Office illegally put trafficking victims in detention centres, report finds

InfoMigrants 23.07.19

Travailler sans papiers en Angleterre est interdit mais surtout “risqué”

Financial Times 17.06.19

Single labour inspectorate should protect workers, minister says

TalkRadio 09.06.19

Interview unavailable; regarding victims of human trafficking in immigration detention centres

Reuters 09.06.19

UK aims to uncover more traffickers with new modern slavery research centre

The Independent 09.06.19

Chinese women being trafficked to UK suffer further harm as detention numbers nearly double

Reuters 23.05.19

UK urged to sharpen slavery law to target business and help children

Financial Times 02.05.19

Foreign cleaners expose lack of protection in UK labour market

Financial Times 29.04.19

Car washes clean up their acts as UK fights labour abuses

Reuters 18.04.19

Opinion: How UK immigration policy is making a marketplace for human traffickers

The Express 12.04.19 

UK is a guiding light in modern slavery but more must be done, warns expert

LBC Radio 07.04.19

Programme unavailable; interview regarding hand car washes and modern slavery.

Reuters 07.04.19

UK car wash app uncovers nearly 1000 suspected cases of modern slavery

Open Democracy 28.03.19

The UK Modern Slavery Act: more for the ‘saviours’ than the ‘saved’

Reuters 27.03.19

Show don’t tell – government urged to lead way on tackling modern slavery

Reuters 19.03.19

Migrant workers face abuse, slavery threat in post-Brexit Britain

The Financial Times 15.03.19

Spike in modern slavery reports hits stretched council services

Reuters 07.03.19

UK anti-slavery agency offers carrot before stick to businesses

The Independent 13.02.19

Home Office using low paid temporary workers to make ‘life-or-death’ decisions on human trafficking

Reuters 03.02.19

UK set to appoint top cop as new anti-slavery chief

The Independent 03.02.19

Grooming scandal police chief appointed to lead UK’s fight against modern slavery

The Independent 02.02.19

More than 1,200 suspected modern slavery victims deprived of financial support in breach of law, Home Office admits

Reuters 01.02.19

UK rejects calls to license car washes to prevent worker abuses

The Daily Mail 25.01.19

UK fashion sector rapped for worker exploitation

Reuters 22.01.19

Lawmakers urge UK to punish big companies that fail to tackle modern slavery

Reuters 18.01.19

Slavery victims claim back cash after illegal UK allowance cuts

The Independent 18.01.19:

Home Office announces repayment for slavery victims after it unlawfully cut their support

The Financial Times 27.12.18:

Modern slavery watchdog claims success despite criticism

Reuters 04.12.18:

UK faces tough task to ensure government supply chains are slave-free

Daily Mail 28.11.18:

UK urged to protect post-Brexit seasonal farmworkers from slavery

Reuters 15.11.18:

License hand car washes to combat slavery, say British lawmakers

The Telegraph 10.11.18:

Google factory workers making Pixel smartphones are ‘underpaid and overworked’

The Daily Mail 05.11.18:

Fee for EU citizens staying in UK puts slavery survivors at risk

The Independent 03.11.18:

EU slavery victims at risk of re-exploitation after Home Office says they may have to pay to stay in UK after Brexit

The Guardian 03.11.18:

Trafficked Europeans may have to pay to stay in UK after Brexit

The Daily Mail 26.10.18:

UK imposes landmark labour ban on duo who exploited foreign workers

The Daily Mail 23.10.18:

Marks & Spencer tops list of major British firms tackling modern slavery

The Daily Mail 20.10.18:

UK companies’ struggle to ensure fair wages sparks slavery concerns

The Independent 18.09.18:

Brexit plan to bring in more non EU workers could lead to sharp rise in exploitation

The Guardian 30.08.18:

Study estimates 500,000 EU workers are in low-skilled jobs

The Financial Times 28.08.18:

Modern slavery campaigners turn to online exploitation

The Financial Times 26.07.18:

Forced labour in the UK: I tried to escape… they cut my finger off

The Guardian 23.05.18:

Home Office under fire over muddled strategy on slavery that fails victims

The Independent 17.05.18:

The UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner resigns citing government interference

The Guardian 08.05.18:

Slaves working in UK construction and car washes

The Daily Mail 07.02.18:

Britain slashes handouts for victims of modern slavery

Huffington Post 08.04.14

Bringing Balance to the UK Modern Slavery Bill

Huffington Post 28.03.14

Prevention – The First Line of Defence Against Human Trafficking

Guardian 20.12.13

Theresa May’s modern slavery bill will fail to provide protection to victims