Building on plans outlined in August, Home Secretary Theresa May is proposing that life sentences be brought in for human traffickers as part of the Modern Slavery Bill.
The draft Bill would also create a new post of Anti-slavery Commissioner to hold law enforcement and other organisations to account and would aim to consolidate the offences used to prosecute those who enslave others into a single Act.
The Bill, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe, will also include Trafficking Prevention Orders to restrict the activity and movement of convicted traffickers and stop them from committing further offences.
At the moment, offences relating to human trafficking are covered by various Acts, such as the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Criminal Law Act 1977.
At the same time as the draft legislation is being drawn up, there is Government-commissioned review into modern slavery being carried out by Labour MP Frank Field, who has estimated that there are 10,000 victims of slavery in the UK.
Speaking on Radio 4, Mrs May said that there have been more referrals to what is called the national referral mechanism, where people are able to refer people who they think have been trafficked into a central mechanism, which has led to this estimation but she said that the Government cannot be sure that it is correct.
Human trafficking charity Hope for Justice has welcomed the proposals, with a spokesman saying that victim welfare is inextricably linked to the prosecution of perpetrators. However, he added that is it vital that victims are supported so that they do not become exploited by other traffickers after a trial is over.
The Home Office said that it expects its proposals to have reached the statute book by the next election in 2015.