Official Statistics

Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify statistics UK, end of year summary 2022

Published 2 March 2023

This statistical bulletin provides a summary and breakdown of the number of potential victims of modern slavery referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) or via the Duty to Notify (DtN) process in 2022. Please also refer to the data tables published alongside this bulletin for further data. Provisional upcoming statistical release dates can be found in the release calendar. To access raw data related to referrals from 2014 onwards, register with UK Data Service. In addition, an annex has been included in this bulletin which considers the drivers of the increase in referrals between 2021 and 2022.

Frequency of release: Annual
Home Office Responsible Statistician: Amy Baxter

Key results

• there were 16,938 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the Home Office in 2022, representing a 33% increase compared to the preceding year (12,706) and the highest annual number since the NRM began in 2009
• the large increase in referrals from government agency first responders has driven this increase which could be linked to the increase in detections at the border and, particularly, the large increase in small boats arrivals
• around three-quarters of referrals (77%; 13,004) were sent to the Single Competent Authority (SCA) for consideration and the rest (23%; 3,934) were sent to the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority (IECA)
• Albanian nationals overtook UK nationals as the most commonly referred nationality in 2022, with Eritrean nationals being the third most referred
• the competent authorities issued the highest number of reasonable and conclusive grounds decisions in 2022, with almost 17,000 reasonable grounds and just over 6,000 conclusive grounds decisions made; of these, 88% of reasonable grounds and 89% of conclusive grounds decisions were positive
• the Home Office received 4,580 reports of adult potential victims via the DtN process, the highest annual number since the DtN began

Figure 1: Number of annual NRM referrals by competent authority

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Excludes data pre-2014 due to data reliability.
2. The IECA took on referrals from November 2021 onwards.

1. Introduction

Modern slavery is a term that includes any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour, as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Potential victims of modern slavery in the UK who come to the attention of authorised first responder organisations are referred to the NRM.

Authorised first responder organisations include local authorities, specified non-governmental organisations (NGOs), police forces and specified government agencies. Adults (aged 18 or above) must consent to being referred to the NRM, whilst children under the age of 18 need not consent to being referred. Adults who were exploited as children can also be referred. As specified in section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, public authorities in England and Wales have a statutory duty to notify the Home Office when they come across potential victims of modern slavery. This duty is discharged by either referring a child or consenting adult potential victim into the NRM, or by notifying the Home Office via the DtN process if an adult victim does not consent to enter the NRM.

Individuals referred to the NRM receive decisions from the Home Office on 2 grounds: reasonable grounds and conclusive grounds.

Reasonable grounds is a decision taken by the Home Office as to whether the decision maker agrees there are reasonable grounds to believe, based on objective factors but falling short of conclusive proof, that a person is a victim of modern slavery. Adults given a positive reasonable grounds decision can have access to support if they need it (including accommodation, subsistence, legal aid and counselling). Local authorities support children.

Following a positive reasonable grounds decision, a conclusive grounds decision will be made. A positive conclusive grounds decision indicates that, on the balance of probabilities, there is sufficient information to consider that the individual is a victim of modern slavery.

Currently, adults with a positive conclusive grounds decision are entitled to at least a further 45 days of support, whilst those with a negative decision receive 9 days of ‘move on’ support as the individual exits the service. See further information regarding the NRM process.

Trained specialists in the Home Office decide who is recognised as a victim of modern slavery. The SCA was launched in April 2019 and the IECA was created 8 November 2021. Both competent authorities recognise victims of modern slavery for cases referred to the NRM across the UK. See further information regarding both competent authorities.

On 14 June 2021, the Home Office launched a pilot programme to test alternative models of decision-making for child victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. Decisions made by the 10 pilot areas, which are then issued by the SCA, are included in the data used for the bulletin. See further information regarding the pilots.

2. National Referral Mechanism (referrals)

2.1 Number of referrals by age group

In 2022, the NRM received 16,938 referrals of potential victims of modern slavery, which represents a 33% increase in referrals compared to the preceding year (12,706). This year saw the highest number of annual referrals since the NRM began in 2009. A more detailed examination of the drivers of the increase is set out in the annex.

Of all referrals this year, 52% (8,854) were for potential victims who claimed exploitation as adults (compared to 50% in the preceding year), whilst 41% (7,019) claimed exploitation as children (compared to 43% in the preceding year) (Figure 2). This year saw both the highest number of potential victims claiming exploitation as adults and those claiming exploitation as children since the NRM began. The age group at exploitation was unknown in 6% of cases (1,065).

Figure 2: Number of NRM referrals by age group of exploitation

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Excludes data pre-2014 due to data reliability.
2. Excludes referrals where the age group at exploitation is unknown.

2.2 Location of exploitation

Overall, 49% (8,260) of potential victims claimed exploitation in the UK only, compared to 58% in the prior year, and 41% (6,922) claimed exploitation overseas only, compared to 30% in the prior year (data table 3; Figure 3). Referrals for potential victims claiming exploitation in the UK only have reached their highest annual number since the NRM began, whilst referrals for those claiming exploitation overseas only have increased to their highest number and proportion of all referrals.

Figure 3: Number of NRM referrals by location of exploitation

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Excludes data pre-2014 due to data reliability.

2.3 Referrals by gender and exploitation type

Overall, of the 16,938 potential victims referred in this year, 78% (13,290) were male and 21% (3,634) were female. The proportion of referrals for male potential victims this year is the highest since the NRM began, following the trend of it increasing proportionally each year since the NRM began.

For adult potential victims, 78% (6,874) were male and 22% (1,978) were female; whilst for child potential victims, 80% (5,607) were male and 20% (1,401) were female (data table 4).

Figure 4: Number of NRM referrals, by exploitation type and age group

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. First responders can enter data for unclassified exploitation in a free-text field; for statistical reporting, this field is grouped as ‘Not specified or unknown’.

Overall, potential victims were most commonly referred for labour exploitation only, which accounted for 30% (5,135) of all referrals. For adult potential victims, labour exploitation was most commonly reported (39%; 3,433), whereas child potential victims were most often referred for criminal exploitation (43%; 3,013) (data table 4). See further information on types of exploitation.

Throughout 2020, a rapid increase in the identification of ‘county lines’ cases partially drove the increase in referrals for children within the criminal exploitation category. In 2021 and 2022, cases flagged as county lines remained at this high level, averaging over 550 referrals a quarter in 2022. However, in 2022 they rose at a lower rate than all referrals compared to the previous year. County lines is a term used to describe drug gangs in large cities expanding their reach to small towns. Often, the gangs exploit vulnerable individuals to transport substances, and mobile phone ‘lines’ are used to communicate drug orders. See further information on county lines.

In 2022, 2,281 county lines referrals were flagged, accounting for 13% of all referrals received in the year (data table 15). The majority (75%; 1,710) of these referrals were for male children.

Figure 5: Number of NRM referrals flagged as county lines, by age group at exploitation and gender

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. County lines referrals were classified as a sub-type of labour exploitation prior to quarter 4 2019.
2. Since January 2020, a ‘flag’ within the NRM digital casework system identifies county lines referrals.

2.4 Referrals by nationality

The most common nationality referred was Albanian, which accounted for 27% (4,613) of all potential victims (compared to 20% in the previous year) and the highest annual volume for this nationality since the NRM began. The second most commonly referred nationality was UK (25%; 4,185) and the third was Eritrean (7%; 1,171) (data table 5).

This was the first year since 2016 that UK nationals were not the most commonly referred nationality to the NRM; nonetheless their number was the highest since the NRM began. Moreover, 2022 was the first year in which Vietnamese nationals (5%; 768) did not feature in the 3 most commonly referred nationalities, whose number saw a fall from the preceding year. Referrals for Eritrean nationals have broadly grown since quarter 2 (April to June) 2021. A more in-depth examination of the most commonly referred nationalities in 2022 compared to 2021 can be found in the annex.

The majority (79%; 3,661) of Albanian nationals were adult potential victims, whilst most UK nationals (80%; 3,337) were child potential victims. For Eritrean nationals, 60% (702) were adult potential victims and 31% (364) were child potential victims (Figure 6).

Please note, a change to data recording from 1 October 2019 means that NRM data reflects the dual nationality of potential victims in separate categories. To see total counts of a particular nationality, please refer to the data tables. A potential victim’s nationality is based on information provided by the first responder upon referral; however case workers may update this as further information is gathered.

Figure 6: Number of NRM referrals for the most common nationalities of potential victims, by age group at exploitation

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Excludes potential victims with an unknown age at exploitation.
2. There are separate categories for dual-nationals.

2.5 Referrals by location of crime investigation

Upon receiving an NRM referral, the SCA determines the responsible geographic police force for investigation, based on the information provided on the referral form, and transfers the referral. Transfer between police forces can take place as they receive further information, which is reflected in the statistics. Previously, British Transport Police referrals were classed under England, but are now separate in the data tables.

As in previous years, most (90%; 15,210) of the NRM referrals were sent to police forces in England, with 4% (621) to Police Scotland, 3% (536) to Welsh police forces and 3% (547) to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (data table 3).

2.6 First responders

In 2022, 49% (8,338) of the referrals came from government agencies, compared to 37% in the previous year. This could be linked to the increase in detections at the border and, particularly, the large increase in small boats arrivals. Of these referrals, 40% (3,349) came from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, compared to 37% in the previous year, whilst the majority came from UK Visas and Immigration (57%; 4,739) (data table 11; Figure 7). NGO and third-sector organisations accounted for 6% (1,034) of referrals (data table 12). Police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) accounted for 23% (3,887) of NRM referrals in 2022 (compared to 30% in the previous year) (data table 13). Local authorities accounted for 22% (3,677) of referrals, mostly for child potential victims (data table 14).

Figure 7: Number of NRM referrals by first responder types

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Excludes potential victims with an unknown age at exploitation.

3. National Referral Mechanism (decisions)

3.1 Reasonable grounds decisions

In 2022, 16,821 reasonable grounds decisions were issued, the highest annual number since the NRM began. Of these, the SCA issued 12,959 and the IECA issued 3,862; 87% (11,273) of decisions made by the SCA were positive compared to 92% (3,572) of decisions made by the IECA (data tables 17 and 18).

The proportion of positive reasonable grounds decisions was 87% for adult and 90% for child potential victims (data table 16). The proportion of positive decisions has remained relatively similar in recent years, with around 9 out of every 10 referrals receiving a positive decision.

Figure 8: Number of NRM positive and negative reasonable grounds decisions

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Based on the year in which the competent authority issued their decision.

3.2 Conclusive grounds decisions

In 2022, there were 6,189 conclusive grounds decisions issued, a 118% increase on the number made the prior year (2,845). The number of conclusive grounds decisions issued this year is the highest since the NRM began. This follows the increasing trend since the early months of 2021 due to the recruitment of additional decision makers by the competent authorities. The proportion of positive conclusive grounds decisions was 87% for adult and 92% for child potential victims (data table 19).

Of the 6,189 decisions issued this year, 5,756 were issued by the SCA and 433 by the IECA (data tables 20 and 21); 90% (5,163) of decisions issued by the SCA were positive compared to 82% (353) of decisions issued by the IECA.

Figure 9: Number of NRM positive and negative conclusive grounds decisions

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Based on the year in which the competent authority issued their decision.

The average (median) time taken from referral to conclusive grounds decisions made this year across the competent authorities was 543 days, compared to 449 days in the previous year (data table 22). For conclusive grounds decisions made by the SCA this year, the average time taken was 583 days, whilst the IECA took an average of 177 days (data tables 23 and 24, respectively). Decision-making times for the IECA are currently much shorter than the SCA; this reflects the IECA having fewer cases assigned to decision-makers in their backlog compared to the SCA, given the IECA have only taken on new referrals since November 2021.

It is important to note that the decision-making times presented here are for cases that received a conclusive grounds decision from the competent authority in this period and do not reflect the waiting time of all cases within the system. Some cases that received decisions in this period may have taken longer to reach a decision than those in previous years.

3.3 Current decision status

As at 26 January 2023, the majority (76%; 12,907) of referrals sent to the competent authorities in 2022 are awaiting a conclusive grounds decision, having received a positive reasonable grounds decision. Of referrals made in 2022, 13% (2,191) received a negative decision (1,995 at reasonable grounds and 196 at conclusive grounds stage), whilst 7% received a positive conclusive grounds decision (data table 25). This results from the current time taken to make conclusive grounds decisions.

Of the referrals in 2022 that were sent to the SCA, the majority (74%; 9,626) are awaiting a conclusive grounds decision, having received a positive reasonable grounds decision. A further 14% (1,803) received a negative decision (1,684 at reasonable grounds and 119 at conclusive grounds stage), whilst 8% (997) received a positive conclusive grounds decision (data table 26).

Comparatively, of the referrals in 2022 that were sent to the IECA, the majority (83%; 3,281) are also awaiting a conclusive grounds decision, having received positive reasonable grounds decisions. An additional 10% (388) received a negative decision (311 at reasonable grounds and 77 at conclusive grounds stage), and a further 5% (178) received a positive conclusive grounds decision (data table 27).

4. Duty to Notify

Since 1 November 2015, specific public authorities in England and Wales must notify the Home Office via the DtN process of suspected adult victims of modern slavery that do not consent to enter the NRM. During this process, first responders do not collect the potential victim’s personal details.

In 2022, the Home Office received 4,580 reports of adult potential victims via the DtN process (data table 28; Figure 10), compared to 3,193 in the preceding year. The number received this year is the highest since the DtN began. Of these:

• the most referred nationalities were Eritrean (928; 20%), Albanian (806; 18%) and UK (394; 9%) (data table 29)
• the most referred exploitation types were labour (1,886; 41%), not recorded or unknown (806; 18%) and sexual (626; 14%) (data table 30)
• in terms of first responders, most DtN reports were submitted by Home Office - UK Visas and Immigration UKVI (2,624; 57%), Metropolitan Police Service (260; 6%) and Home Office - Immigration Enforcement IE (221; 5%) (data table 31)

Figure 10: Number of DtN referrals

Source: SCA

Notes:

1. Potential victims may be reported via DtN and subsequently also referred to the NRM at a later point in time, so these figures should not be combined due to potential double counting.

5. Further information

Quality information

All percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage point.

It is important to note that the statistics presented in this publication relate to the number of potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM or via the DtN process.

These statistics are based on the situation as at 26 January 2023 when an extract was taken from the live management information system. The figures may differ from previous or future reports as new information comes to light and cases update accordingly.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) previously published NRM statistics prior to transferring NRM decision-making responsibilities to the SCA in April 2019 as part of the NRM Reform Programme. Publications prior to July 2019 can be accessed via the NCA website. With this transfer of responsibility, these data are now designated as official statistics and produced in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Data tables for further analysis can be found online alongside this bulletin.

This statistical bulletin has been produced to the highest professional standards and is free from political interference. It has been produced by statisticians working in the Home Office Analysis & Insight Directorate under the Home Office’s Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which covers Home Office policy on revisions and other matters. The Chief Statistician, as Head of Profession, reports to the National Statistician regarding all professional statistical matters and oversees all Home Office National Statistics products regarding the Code, being responsible for their timing, content and methodology.

Changes to data table formatting

As of 2021, several of the data tables published alongside this bulletin have been reformatted to reduce the number of tables whilst still providing the same data. Data table 7 (number of NRM referrals by UK country of responsible police force and age group) which was provided in previous updates has been removed as this information is available in data table 3. Data tables 16 to 26 provided in previous updates (breaking down referrals received by police forces from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland by nationality, exploitation type, first responder and age at exploitation) have been removed. This information is now available in data tables 4 to 9.

As of 2022, this bulletin has included both the number of referrals and decisions split by the SCA and IECA. To reflect this, a new data table has been added as data table 1 to show the competent authority split. Moreover, for decisions, data tables 15 and 16 (number of positive and negative NRM reasonable/conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter, by age group at exploitation) in previous releases have been split into an additional 2 tables each for SCA and IECA decisions. Reasonable grounds decision breakdowns are therefore provided as data tables 16 to 18, whilst conclusive grounds breakdowns are provided as data tables 19 to 21. In addition, data table 18 (decision status of NRM referrals made in each year) in past releases is now provided as data table 25, with 2 further tables for SCA and IECA decision status provided as data tables 26 and 27.

Furthermore, from 2022, several changes to formatting have been made to improve accessibility. These include adding consistent worksheet titles, adding a notes worksheet and reducing the use of merged cells.

Changes to recording of exploitation types

Prior to 1 October 2019, potential victims of modern slavery were recorded as having a single primary exploitation type, grouped into 5 distinct categories: labour, sexual, domestic servitude, organ harvesting or unknown exploitation. Following changes to the way NRM data are collected, recording of exploitation types has changed to give a better picture of the exploitation experienced by potential victims. As a result, for referrals received from 1 October 2019, criminal exploitation is separate to labour exploitation. In addition, potential victims can also be recorded as experiencing multiple exploitation types, so apply caution when comparing exploitation type statistics from quarter 4 (October to December) 2019 with previous quarters, as the primary exploitation type is unknown. Furthermore, ‘Unknown exploitation’ is no longer a distinct category on the online form that first responders use when submitting a referral; instead, they can provide information for unclassified exploitation in a free-text box field. For statistical reporting, this field is grouped as ‘Not specified or unknown’.

Changes to the naming of ‘police’ first responder type

Prior to quarter 4 2022, ROCUs had been included under the ‘police’ first responder type, and from this point the name has been changed to ‘police and ROCUs’ to more clearly reflect their inclusion.

Criteria applied to identify the relevant police force

Police force data provided in associated reference tables are based on the location of the police force that received the NRM referral. Each referral is screened against the criteria below to identify the responsible geographic police force. Once identified, the referral is transferred for action to the relevant Force Intelligence Bureau or stipulated point of receipt within the force. Sometimes, further information is received and processed regarding a referral, which means it will be sent to a different police force. The updated statistics will reflect this. Criteria applied to identify the relevant police force are:

• the force has acted as first responder, or the referral indicates that the force is already involved in the recording/investigation of the potential modern slavery human trafficking offences
• the potential victim has been exploited within the force area
• the potential victim has been exploited abroad, or at an unknown location and the victim’s address at time of referral is within the force area
• the potential victim has been exploited abroad or at an unknown location and they have presented to another first responder within the force area

Other related publications

Latest and previous NRM and DtN statistical releases can be found in the National Referral Mechanism statistics collection.

For statistics on the number of small boat arrivals with NRM referrals, see the Irregular migration to the UK, year ending December 2022 release.

Feedback and enquiries

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems, or have any feedback, relating to accessibility, or general questions regarding this publication, please email us NRMStatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

For press enquires: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk; 02070353535

6. Annex: key drivers of referrals

2022 was a record year for the number of referrals to both the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and Duty to Notify (DtN) process. Overall, NRM referrals increased 33% from 12,706 in the previous year to reach 16,938, whilst DtN reports rose 43% from 3,193 to reach 4,580. This annex takes a more detailed look into the drivers of the change in referral trends between 2021 and 2022. In early 2021, the UK was still under some coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, therefore comparisons between 2021 and 2022 might be impacted.

A. National Referral Mechanism

Nationality

The top 5 nationalities remained the same but changed order in 2022 compared to the previous year. For the first year since 2016, UK nationals were not the most commonly referred nationality (25%; 4,185), registering a fall in proportion despite a 6% increase in volume. Albanian referrals were most prevalent, rising substantially by 84% to 4,613 in 2022. Eritrean nationals saw a rise, jumping from fourth place in 2021 to third in 2022 to account for 7% (1,171) of referrals. The number of Vietnamese nationals, by contrast, experienced a fall in referrals by 22% to 768 in 2022, previously having been the third most referred nationality. They were also overtaken by Sudanese nationals, which increased by 69% to 851 over the same period (Table A1).

Table A1: NRM referrals received from the 5 most common nationalities in 2022 compared to 2021 figures

Nationality	Vol (2021)	% (2021)	Vol (2022)	% (2022)	Vol percentage change
Albanian	2,509	20%	4,613	27%	84%
UK	3,944	31%	4,185	25%	6%
Eritrean	713	6%	1,171	7%	64%
Sudanese	503	4%	851	5%	69%
Vietnamese	989	8%	768	5%	-22%

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Does not include dual nationals.

Referrals for female Albanian nationals increased by 41% from 2021, less markedly than male referrals which rose by 91% and made up their highest proportion (89%; 4,112) of any year since the NRM began. A key driver for the rise in male Albanians was those reporting labour exploitation (40%; 1,631), whose number was more than double that of 2021. Adult Albanians saw an increase of 79% to 3,661 referrals over this period, whilst child referrals increased by 130% to 559.

UK nationals saw a comparatively small overall increase (6%) in referrals, with the proportion of male (77%; 3,230) and female (23%; 948) referrals in 2022 similar to 2021. A driver was the increase in male child potential victims reporting criminal exploitation, which rose by 13% to 2,178 in 2022. Notably, there was a small overall reduction in adult referrals for UK nationals, which fell by 12% from the prior year to 773.

The increase of the third most referred nationality in 2022, Eritrean, was driven by those reporting labour exploitation, which rose by 69% from 2021 to reach 760. The proportion of female Eritrean nationals increased from 2021, though still accounts for a minority of referrals from this nationality (23%; 270) compared to males (77%; 901). Overall, the number of Eritrean child potential victims more than doubled to 364 in 2022, whereas those for adults increased by 70% from the previous year to 702.

Referrals for Sudanese nationals saw the same proportions of male (98%; 832) and female (2%; 19) potential victims as the previous year. A core driver was the growth of Sudanese child potential victims, increasing by 126% to 499 in 2022, compared to adults who rose by 24% to 285 and now account for the minority (33%). The increase in child referrals was driven by those claiming labour exploitation, making up a greater proportion (80%; 399) than the previous year (77%; 170).

The fall in referrals from Vietnamese nationals in 2022 was largely driven by the 27% fall in males compared to the previous year, whereas female numbers were similar. More specifically, the number of male Vietnamese referrals reporting labour exploitation fell from 330 in 2021 to 186 in 2022. Both Vietnamese adult and child potential victims fell at similar rates (by 22% and 20% respectively) from the previous year, with adults continuing to account for the majority (64%; 495) of referrals.

Location of exploitation

As shown in section 2.2 of this bulletin, there were increases in individuals reporting exploitation across all location categories. The largest increase of these, both in volume and percentage change, was for those claiming overseas exploitation only, which rose 79% to 6,922 and now makes up 41% of referrals. There was a lower increase from referrals citing exclusively UK-based exploitation, which grew by 13% to 8,260 in 2022 (Table A2). This section will focus on the aforementioned categories given there was no distinct cohort in-which referrals changed notably for those reporting a combination of overseas and UK-based exploitation.

Table A2: NRM referrals by reported location of exploitation in 2022 compared to 2021 figures

Location of exploitation	Vol (2021)	% (2021)	Vol (2022)	% (2022)	Vol percentage change
Overseas	3867	30%	6922	41%	79%
Criminal	171	1%	346	2%	102%
Labour	1961	15%	3511	21%	79%
Labour & Criminal	210	2%	561	3%	167%
Sexual	512	4%	818	5%	60%
Other types	550	4%	748	4%	36%
Not specified or unknown	463	4%	938	6%	103%
UK	7341	58%	8260	49%	13%
Criminal	3758	30%	4099	24%	9%
Labour	849	7%	1225	7%	44%
Labour & Criminal	984	8%	1056	6%	7%
Sexual	612	5%	669	4%	9%
Other types	725	6%	673	4%	-7%
Not specified or unknown	413	3%	538	3%	30%
UK and overseas	1498	12%	1756	10%	17%
Criminal	210	2%	223	1%	6%
Labour	313	2%	399	2%	27%
Labour & Criminal	347	3%	348	2%	0%
Sexual	142	1%	159	1%	12%
Other types	298	2%	337	2%	13%
Not specified or unknown	188	1%	290	2%	54%

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. ‘Other types’ includes less commonly reported exploitation types and combinations.

For referrals reporting exclusively overseas exploitation, male adults remain the most common, rising from 1,754 in 2021 to 3,300 in 2022. More generally, the number of adult potential victims rose at a similar rate to child referrals (by 83% and 82% respectively).

A core driver of the referrals citing overseas exploitation only were those claiming labour exploitation, rising from 1,961 in 2021 to 3,511 in 2022. The number of these for child potential victims more than doubled from the previous year to 1,117, though remain less than the volume of those reporting as adults (2,084). The most referred nationalities reporting labour exploitation occurring exclusively overseas in 2022 were Albanian (27% compared to 16% the previous year), Eritrean (21% compared to 23% the previous year) and Sudanese (20% compared to 21% the previous year).

Although at a comparatively smaller rate, referrals which reported exclusively UK-based exploitation increased from the previous year by 13% to 8,260. Driving this was the number of male potential victims, which increased by 15% to 6,536, with growth across the board from child, adult and those whose age at exploitation was not specified or unknown. More specifically, the number of male referrals reporting labour exploitation rose 48% to 1,101, and the number reporting criminal exploitation rose 10% to 3,789. Female referrals citing exploitation exclusively in the UK grew by 2% to 1,713, primarily from child potential victims reporting sexual exploitation rising from 365 in 2021 to 431 in 2022.

First responders

As outlined in section 2.6, referrals from all first responder types increased from 2021 to 2022. This section focuses on the highest increases, which were referrals from government agencies and local authorities.

The largest increase came from government agencies who registered 3,669 more referrals, of which 3,020 were male and 649 were female potential victims. This could be linked to the increase in detections at the border and, particularly, the large increase in small boats arrivals. Both adult and child referrals from government agencies increased dramatically with child referrals more than doubling from 885 in 2021 to 1,840 in 2022 (Table A3), though still accounting for a minority of their referrals (22%).

Table A3: NRM referrals received by first responder type in 2022 compared to 2021 figures

First responder type	Vol (2021)	% (2021)	Vol (2022)	% (2022)	Vol percentage change
Government Agency	4669	37%	8338	49%	79%
Adult (18 or over)	3230	25%	5715	34%	77%
Child (17 or under)	885	7%	1840	11%	108%
Not specified or unknown	554	4%	783	5%	41%
Local Authority	3219	25%	3677	22%	14%
Adult (18 or over)	275	2%	238	1%	-13%
Child (17 or under)	2890	23%	3386	20%	17%
Not specified or unknown	54	0%	53	0%	-2%
NGO and Third Sector	978	8%	1034	6%	6%
Adult (18 or over)	697	5%	725	4%	4%
Child (17 or under)	234	2%	266	2%	14%
Not specified or unknown	47	0%	43	0%	-9%
Police and ROCUs	3834	30%	3887	23%	1%
Adult (18 or over)	2199	17%	2175	13%	-1%
Child (17 or under)	1442	11%	1526	9%	6%
Not specified or unknown	193	2%	186	1%	-4%

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Does not include referrals where first responder type was not specified or unknown.

Delving further into referrals from government agencies in 2022, over 99% (8,312) of these were from UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement and UK Border Force combined, a similar proportion but higher volume to 2021 (4,647). The most populous nationalities for government agencies followed similar trends to all referrals into the NRM. In 2021, the most populous nationalities were Albanian (38%; 1,764), Eritrean (13%; 593) and Vietnamese (9%; 442); comparatively in 2022, the most referred were Albanian (45%; 3,711), Eritrean (12%; 1,016) and Sudanese (8%; 678).

Though not to the same extent as government agencies, referrals sent by local authorities increased by 14% from 3,219 in 2021 to 3,677 in 2022. These were driven by individuals reporting exploitation as children, which increased from 2,890 in 2021 to 3,386 in 2022; comparatively those for adult potential victims decreased from 275 to 238 over the same period. For male child potential victims, the core driver was for individuals citing criminal exploitation which increased by 15% to 1,707, whilst female children more often cited sexual exploitation which rose by 26% to 331 in 2022.

B. Duty to Notify

Nationality

The 5 nationalities with the most reports from the DtN process in 2022 share some similarity with the list from 2021. DtN records were most commonly sent for Eritrean nationals this year (the second most notified nationality in 2021), seeing a large rise from 382 in 2021 to 928 in 2022. Falling from first to second most reported were Albanian nationals, though their numbers rose by 85% from 2021 to 806. UK nationals remained the third most reported, with their number growing by 8% in 2022, and increases were also observed for Sudanese (by 21%) and Romanian (by 1%) nationals (Table B1).

Table B1: DtN reports received from the 5 most common nationalities in 2022 compared to 2021 figures

Nationality	Vol (2021)	% (2021)	Vol (2022)	% (2022)	Vol percentage change
Eritrean	382	12%	928	20%	143%
Albanian	435	14%	806	18%	85%
UK	365	11%	394	9%	8%
Sudanese	294	9%	355	8%	21%
Romanian	317	10%	321	7%	1%

Source: SCA, IECA

Notes:

1. Does not include dual nationals.

Disaggregating the most reported nationality in 2022, there were increases in both male and female Eritreans from 2021, by 141% and 151% respectively. For male Eritreans, this was driven by those citing labour exploitation, which grew from 229 in 2021 to 520 in 2022; comparatively female Eritreans reported rises across multiple exploitation types.

The second most reported nationality in 2022, Albanian nationals, saw less marked rises in both male and female records from 2021. Albanian males increased by 77% to 652, with most of the increase being from those reporting labour exploitation and criminal exploitation. In-contrast, the 130% rise in Albanian females to 154 was largely from reports of sexual exploitation which increased from 37 in 2021 to 112 in 2022.

UK nationals saw an increase in male reports to the DtN in 2022 by 11% to 265 and a smaller increase in females from the previous year by 2% to 129. The number of male UK nationals citing criminal exploitation grew from 154 in 2021 to 184 in 2022, and now account for 69% of reports received for this nationality (from 65% the previous year). In-contrast, female UK nationals saw relatively small changes across multiple exploitation types from the prior year.

The fourth most reported nationality in 2022, Sudanese, saw an unchanged number of female reports (1%; 2) from the previous year. Indeed, the driver in reports for this nationality was the number of males, which grew by 21% to 353, and accounted for 99% of reports from this nationality in 2022. The growth in male Sudanese nationals was predominantly for labour exploitation, increasing by 14% to 308 in 2022.

Romanian nationals, which accounted for the fifth most DtN reports sent in 2022, experienced a minor increase from 317 in 2021 to 321. The number of male Romanians fell slightly from 100 to 91 over the period, whilst female Romanians rose slightly from 217 to 230.

First responders

There were increases in DtN reports from government agencies, police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) in 2022, whereas those from local authorities and NGOs were similar to the volumes of 2021. As such, this section takes a more detailed examination of the former 2 first responder types.

Government agencies drove the overall rise in DtN notifications, which accounted for 68% (3,119) of all reports received in 2022, a higher proportion (57%; 1,824) than in 2021 (Table B2). As with NRM referrals, this could be linked to the increase in detections at the border and the large increase in individuals arriving on small boats in-particular. Part of the rise in referrals can be attributed to the growth in numbers of reports for male potential victims by this first responder type, which increased by 79% to 2,365; those for females increased less markedly by 50% to 751. More specifically, male reports who cited labour exploitation rose by 70% to 1,480 and still account for most cases for this first responder type (63%).

A smaller rise in DtN reports came from police forces and ROCUs, which increased from 1,165 in 2021 to 1,253 in 2022. Male reports were almost unchanged from the previous year, whilst female reports increased by 18% to 575. Much of the rise in females reported by police forces and ROCUs was for those citing sexual & labour exploitation (increasing from 34 in 2021 to 76 in 2022) and not specified or unknown exploitation (increasing from 38 in 2021 to 81 in 2022).

Table B2: DtN reports received by first responder type in 2022 compared to 2021 figures

First responder type	Vol (2021)	% (2021)	Vol (2022)	% (2022)	Vol percentage change
Government Agency	1824	57%	3119	68%	71%
Female	501	16%	751	16%	50%
Male	1320	41%	2365	52%	79%
Other	2	0%	1	0%	-50%
Not specified or unknown	1	0%	2	0%	100%
Local Authority	198	6%	204	4%	3%
Female	94	3%	105	2%	12%
Male	104	3%	98	2%	-6%
Other	0	0%	1	0%	n/a
NGO and Third Sector	6	0%	4	0%	-33%
Female	3	0%	3	0%	0%
Male	2	0%	1	0%	-50%
Other	1	0%	0	0%	-100%
Police and ROCUs	1165	36%	1253	27%	8%
Female	489	15%	575	13%	18%
Male	673	21%	674	15%	0%
Other	1	0%	0	0%	-100%
Not specified or unknown	2	0%	4	0%	100%

Source: SCA, IECA