The number of potential victims of modern slavery received by the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) has reached record levels, according to Home Office statistics.
A separate Home Office recording mechanism, the Duty to Notify (DtN), also found record high numbers of potential modern slavery victims.
Over the same period, there were 1,501 reports via DtN, the highest quarterly figures since the process began in 2015.
A Home Office spokesperson called modern slavery “a scourge that dehumanises and traumatises people for profit,“ adding that the department was ”committed to tackling it in all its forms.”
Potential victims of modern slavery who come to the attention of first responder organisations, such as the police or government agencies, are referred to the NRM, where they are assessed so that they can have their circumstances recognised in the UK and receive support.
Most Were Foreign Nationals
There were 201 nationalities represented in NRM referrals this quarter. The vast majority of referrals were foreign nationals, but the most common nationality was British, which accounted for 23 percent of all potential victims.The second most-common nationality was Albanian (11 percent), followed by Vietnamese (also 11 percent).
In terms of source of the referral, nearly one-third (32 percent) were made by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and 14 percent came from Home Office Immigration Enforcement.
Local authorities accounted for 22 percent of referrals, mostly for children, and police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units accounted for 19 percent.
Among the DtN records, the most notified nationalities were Eritrean (18 percent), Vietnamese (14 percent), and Sudanese (10 percent).
Labour Exploitation
Overall, almost a third (31 percent) of NRM referrals were children and almost three quarters (74 percent) of adult referrals were male.Labour exploitation was the most commonly reported kind of exploitation among adults, with children most often referred for criminal exploitation.
There were also divides in the kind of exploitation between the sexes, with men most often reported for labour or criminal exploitation and women mostly reporting sexual exploitation, making up more than one-third (34 percent) of all referrals from women.
NRM assessments determine whether a claimant is considered a potential victim of modern slavery and has “reasonable grounds” for access to legal, psychological, and medical support. They are then assessed again, and if they are confirmed a victim are given a “positive conclusive grounds” decision.
The Home Office said that between July and September, they had made decisions on 4,953 reasonable grounds applications and 5,188 conclusive grounds applications—the highest number of conclusive grounds decisions issued in any quarter since the NRM began.
Assessment Backlog
While the department was able to issue decisions on more than 5,000 conclusive grounds applications in the last quarter, there is still a backlog of a total of 20,111 cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision, as of September.Commenting on the backlog, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We recognise that survivors are waiting far too long for a decision.
“That is why we are hiring 200 new decision-makers to clear this backlog in two years and ensure survivors get the certainty and support they need to rebuild their lives.”
130,000 Victims of Modern Slavery
According to the Modern Slavery Act Committee, there are 130,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK, involved in prostitution, illegal drugs, agriculture, domestic service, and even the care sector. Despite the high numbers, the prosecution rate is only 1.8 percent.
In her Oct. 18 comments, Phillips said that supporting victims of modern slavery “is one of my top priorities and there is much more to do.”
“Be in no doubt, this government will use every lever at its disposal to support them while we pursue those who callously profit from their trauma and misery,” the safeguarding minister said.
