The MSI, now in its second year, showed the U.K. had slipped because of "gaps in the U.K.'s labour inspectorate."

Across the EU, 20 countries have seen a rise in risk, including Germany, which like the U.K. has moved from “low” to “medium.”

The five EU countries posing the highest risk are Romania, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Bulgaria — key entry points for migrants, who are “extremely vulnerable to exploitation.”

The MSI, which assesses 198 countries on the strength of laws, effectiveness of enforcement and severity of violations, found Romania and Italy have the worst reported violations in the EU, including severe forms of forced labour such as servitude and trafficking.

Estimates suggest that more than 100,000 migrants have entered Europe by sea in 2017, 85 percent of whom have landed in Italy.

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