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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent

Modern slavery in social care surging since visa rules eased

A health care worker with an aged person in a care home
Unpublished figures show at least 800 recorded potential victims of modern slavery in 2023. Photograph: Maskot/Getty Images

Modern slavery is surging in social care since ministers relaxed immigration rules to fill thousands of vacancies, with a growing wave of exploitation leading to workers being ripped off or living in squalor.

Unpublished figures show at least 800 people working in care homes or people’s residences were charted as potential victims last year, more than 10 times the number recorded before the government’s visa scheme.

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