Migrants keep their spirits up at a centre in the Italian town of Ventimiglia, near the French border

Slavery is increasing faster within the European Union than in any other region as traffickers force migrants into work to repay their debts.

Countries with key entry points for migrants and refugees such as Italy, Greece and Cyprus were found by researchers to have the most forced labour within the bloc. Twenty of its 28 member states recorded a lower performance in tackling slavery compared with last year, according to a global index published today by Verisk Maplecroft, a British analytics company.

Smugglers and agents demand huge fees for passage across the Mediterranean, leaving people vulnerable to exploitation. Slavery is becoming increasingly prevalent in farming, raising the risk of forced labour tainting food supply chains across Europe.

“Many illegal migrants entering the EU are so