UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled what she calls “the most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times.” She plans to cut asylum numbers through strict deterrence measures, faster removals, and a small set of new “safe and legal” routes capped at only a few hundred people a year.

Mahmood argues the plan will fix a broken system and stop people from paying criminal gangs. But anti-slavery campaigners say the proposals will worsen exploitation and make people in the UK more vulnerable to trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation.

A system that increases risk, not safety

Advocates warn that the new rules will leave thousands of people stuck on short, unstable permissions to stay. These temporary statuses require repeated reassessments and offer no clear route to long-term security. People living in limbo are more likely to fall into hidden work, rely on exploitative employers, and avoid reporting abuse out of fear.

Anti-Slavery International says an inadequate number of safe migration routes makes smuggling and trafficking more lucrative. The group argues border-focused policies creates and worsens modern slavery conditions—including trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage. Sian Lea, Head of UK and European Advocacy, said to the Byline Times:

Precarious immigration status only pushes people further into the hands of exploiters by increasing fear of authorities and creating additional barriers to accessing work, education or other crucial support.

Research supports these concerns. Walk Free found migrant workers are three times more likely to experience forced labor than local workers. UNHCR and the British Red Cross have documented domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, labor abuse, and forced criminality among people seeking asylum in the UK.

Many asylum seekers already survive on £7 per day and cannot work legally. Researchers say these conditions leave people dependent on the “shadow economy,” where exploiters can easily take advantage.

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