A national helpline for victims of modern slavery is reporting a steep rise in calls from overseas workers who came to the UK to help plug staffing gaps in the care sector…

Unseen UK said more than 700 care staff used its helpline in 2022…

The charity's latest figures show:

• in 2021 its helpline was contacted about 15 cases of modern slavery in the care sector, involving 63 potential victims
• by 2022 there were 106 cases, involving 708 potential victims
• in 2023 the figures have continued to rise

Nearly one in five potential modern-slavery victims identified by the charity in 2022 worked in the care sector…

…the charity says a few unscrupulous employers and agents are charging workers as much as £25,000, adding interest and deducting the debt from their wages.

"It becomes evident that workers are in a cycle where they will never be able to pay off the debt," says the report…

Care providers have told BBC News some overseas staff are emailing them or arriving at their offices asking if they can take them on because the company that brought them to the UK is either giving them no work or not enough for them to survive…