Andrew Wallis: Tackling modern slavery (Institute for Policy Research)

When it was introduced, the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was hailed as a world-leading piece of legislation. But a 2024 review of the legislation by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee concluded that developments since, worldwide and in the UK, have led to the UK falling behind internationally. The number of people identified as victims of modern slavery has been rising year on year, with over 19,000 people referred to the authorities in 2024. Andrew Wallis is CEO of Unseen and chaired the landmark Centre for Social Justice report It Happens Here, widely acknowledged as a catalyst for the 2015 Act. In conversation with Andrew Crane (University of Bath), he discusses the current landscape of modern slavery in the UK. They explore what has changed over the past decade, where the gaps are, and what can be done. This IPR event took place on 21 January 2026.