Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that survivors of modern slavery feel safe to report exploitation and abuse regardless of their immigration status.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery; ensuring that victims, regardless of their nationality and immigration status, are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery, of all nationalities, and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. If a First Responder thinks that modern slavery has taken place, the individual should be referred to the NRM so that the relevant competent authority can fully consider the case in line with the published Statutory Guidance. If an adult potential victim does not consent to entering the NRM, the first responder must notify the Home Office (in England and Wales) via a Duty to Notify (DtN) report.

The statistics for the NRM are published quarterly here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)