Human trafficking rose by 25% in the UK during the last year, according to government figures.
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, is to introduce tougher punishments, including a maximum jail term of life imprisonment for the worst cases of human trafficking and exploitation.
A new government report revealed the largest number of victims were from Nigeria, Vietnam, Albania, Romania and China. Last year, there was a significant increase in the numbers coming from Albania (300%), Poland (148%) and Lithuania (171%). But trafficking from Romania and China had fallen, according to the figures.
Gangs target people for sexual exploitation, construction work, forced begging and benefit fraud. Victims brought to the UK are forced to do anything from work as house slaves to labour in cannabis farms.
The victims are usually promised a good job with enough to support their families back home. Instead, they are subjected to captivity, misery, squalor and degradation.
