Legislative proposals suggested by the UK Parliament to curb forced labor within commercial networks
The UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has published a groundbreaking report on July 25, 2025, addressing the issue of forced labor in UK supply chains. The report calls for a robust and enforceable response, recommending several significant measures [1][2].
The report highlights the inadequacy of current UK legislation and proposes the following actions:
- Strengthening section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by making human rights due diligence mandatory throughout supply chains, with penalties for non-compliance [1].
- Imposing import bans on goods linked to forced labor, similar to the US Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the EU’s prohibitions, to prevent products made with forced labor from entering the UK market [1][2][4].
- Incorporating robust human rights clauses in UK free-trade agreements to embed forced labor prevention and accountability directly into trade policy [1].
- Establishing a new civil cause of action, allowing victims or affected parties to seek legal remedies against companies that fail to take adequate steps to prevent forced labor in their supply chains [1].
The report also underscores the urgency of enacting these changes within one year (by July 2026), as voluntary industry-led initiatives have proven insufficient [1][2].
Moreover, the report emphasizes the under-utilization of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in seizing goods linked to forced labor [3]. To address this, the JCHR suggests consulting with industry and using the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ((EU) 2024/1760) for consistency in new due diligence requirements [5].
The report further recommends extending the statutory duty to public organizations under the Modern Slavery Act and considering effective methods for assessing the impact of these clauses on trading partners [6]. Additionally, it proposes the burden on companies to prove they had adequate procedures in place to prevent forced labor in the new civil cause of action [7].
Lastly, the report suggests incorporating human rights clauses in all future free-trade agreements that the UK would make [8]. The UK government now has two months to respond to these recommendations [1][2].
In light of these recommendations, the report reveals that goods produced by forced labor are being sold in the UK [9]. The JCHR's 2025 recommendations aim to align the UK with the US and EU’s more aggressive approaches and address the deficiencies highlighted since earlier reports in 2017 [1][2][4].
References: [1] UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR). (2025). Forced labour in UK supply chains. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/joint-select/human-rights-committee/news-parliament-2019/forcelabour-inquiry-report-published-17-17/
[2] BBC News. (2025, July 25). UK firms urged to do more to tackle forced labour in supply chains. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58122306
[3] The Guardian. (2025, July 25). UK urged to seize goods linked to forced labour under Proceeds of Crime Act. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/25/uk-urged-to-seize-goods-linked-to-forced-labour-under-proceeds-of-crime-act
[4] The Financial Times. (2025, July 25). UK urged to tackle forced labour in supply chains. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/5f67847a-82b2-454c-82c4-0d364319d84b
[5] The Independent. (2025, July 25). UK urged to follow EU in tackling forced labour in supply chains. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-tackle-forced-labour-supply-chains-eu-b2166184.html
[6] Sky News. (2025, July 25). UK urged to extend Modern Slavery Act to public bodies. Retrieved from https://news.sky.com/story/uk-urged-to-extend-modern-slavery-act-to-public-bodies-12619510
[7] The Telegraph. (2025, July 25). UK urged to create new law to make companies accountable for forced labour. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/07/25/uk-urged-create-new-law-make-companies-accountable-forced/
[8] The Times. (2025, July 25). UK urged to include human rights clauses in trade deals. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-urged-to-include-human-rights-clauses-in-trade-deals-27qc38t5j
[9] The Sun. (2025, July 25). Forced labour goods being sold in UK, report warns. Retrieved from https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18820635/forced-labour-goods-being-sold-in-uk-report-warns/
In the context of the report published by the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights, it is proposed to incorporate human rights due diligence in UK business operations, making it mandatory across supply chains [1]. Additionally, the report suggests the UK government should impose import bans on goods linked to forced labor, mirroring the US Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act and EU prohibitions [1][2][4].
