New record high for modern slavery referrals as they rise by a third in a year
Reports of modern slavery in UK hit record highs
- The number of potential modern slavery victims referred to the Home Office reached a record high of 6,414 in the three months to September, marking a 35 per cent increase year-on-year.
- This figure represents the highest quarterly total since the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) began in 2009, also showing a 13 per cent rise from the previous quarter.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's remarks about preventing the misuse of modern slavery laws to block deportations were criticised by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, who warned of the impact on victims.
- UK nationals accounted for 20 per cent of referrals, followed by Eritrean (16 per cent) and Somali (10 per cent) nationals, with these being record highs for each group in a single quarter.
- While 68 per cent of final decisions confirmed individuals as modern slavery victims, the average waiting time for a decision has decreased to 550 days from 728 days in the previous quarter.