Countries like Turkey and China are said to employ slave or forced labor in garment production.

The chances of goods produced using forced labour entering supply chains are worsening. Syrian migrants, including children, are said to work in Turkey within the garment industry and the agricultural sector.

China is rated extreme risk due to reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang. Modern slavery has been known to exist for years. About 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery globally. So, organisations need to work harder to keep goods tainted by forced labour out of their supply chain.

Poverty has long been a key determining factor in the prevalence of modern slavery. Households lacking economic security are more likely to become dependent on employment agents within the informal economy, which can lead to exploitation. More than 15 of the 24 extreme risk countries are low and lower-middle income economies. This group includes Myanmar and Pakistan, two leading exporters of goods including clothing and cotton fabric.

Rising inflation and fears of a global recession suggest the world is headed for a period of prolonged economic instability which will leave millions more people vulnerable to exploitation.The European Commission has unveiled a plan to ban products made with forced labour from entering the EU market.