Additional statistics relating to modern slavery (February 2025)
Published 26 February 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/additional-statistics-relating-to-modern-slavery-february-2025/additional-statistics-relating-to-modern-slavery-february-2025
This ad hoc statistical release provides an update with the latest available Home Office data as of 17 February 2025. It is being published to enable the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to use the latest conclusive grounds statistics to update stakeholders at a number of key events including at the Human Trafficking Foundation Advisory Forum.
Comprehensive data on National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals and decisions are published by the Home Office quarterly and annually. The next quarterly and annual release will be published on 6 March 2025.
Provisional data quoted on this page has been extracted from live operational databases and may differ from other statistics published subsequently.
Provisional data shows that as of 17 February 2025 there were:
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15,301 cases awaiting conclusive grounds decisions having been issued positive reasonable grounds decisions; this is a decrease of 39% (9,942) when compared to 16 February 2024 and a 48% (13,974) decrease since the peak in quarter 4, 1 October to 31 December 2022
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14,557 cases awaiting conclusive grounds decisions had been referred to the Single Competent Authority (SCA), this is a decrease of 39% (9,377) when compared to 16 February 2024
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744 cases awaiting conclusive grounds decisions had been referred to the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority (IECA), this is a decrease of 43% (565) when compared to 16 February 2024
Given the quarterly variance in the average time to decision, the average (median) age of all cases awaiting conclusive grounds decisions is a more accurate reflection of wait times. As of 17 February 2025:
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the average age of cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision was 553 days, a decrease of 17% (114 days) when compared to 16 February 2024
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the average age of SCA cases in the system awaiting a conclusive grounds decision was 563 days, a decrease of 20% (141 days) when compared to 16 February 2024
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the average age of IECA cases in the system awaiting a conclusive grounds decision was 406 days, a decrease of 9% (42 days) when compared to 16 February 2024