Modern slavery remains a significant issue in the United Kingdom, with the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) providing a system for identifying and supporting potential victims. The statistics for 2025 demonstrate a continued increase in the number of people being referred to the Home Office as potential victims of modern slavery. A record 23,411 referrals were made during the year, representing a 22% increase from 2024 and the highest annual total since the NRM began operating in 2009. The increase in reports through the Duty to Notify (DtN) process highlights the continued scale of adult modern slavery cases being identified across the UK.  Overall, the 2025 statistics demonstrate both the increasing scale of modern slavery referrals in the UK and significant changes in the way cases are being processed.

• a total of 23,411 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the Home Office (HO) in 2025, representing a 22% increase compared to the preceding year (19,117)
• the number of referrals made in this year is the highest in any year since the NRM began, overtaking the record from the previous year (2024)
• over three-quarters of referrals (77%, 17,999) were sent to the Single Competent Authority (SCA) for consideration and 23% (5,412) were sent to the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority (IECA) (see Figure 1)
• the most common nationalities referred this year were UK (22%; 5,110), Eritrean (13%; 3,083) and Vietnamese (9%; 1,998)
• 2025 year saw the highest number of referrals for nationals of the UK, Eritrea and Somalia in any year since the NRM began operating in 2009
• the total of 23,587 reasonable grounds and 25,390 conclusive grounds decisions made in 2025 represent the highest number made in a single year since the NRM began; of these, 61% of reasonable grounds and 66% of conclusive grounds decisions were positive
• there were 5,758 cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision having been issues a positive reasonable grounds decision at the end of 2025
• this was 66% lower than the number awaiting a decision at the end of 2024 (17,168) and 80% lower than the peak recorded at the end of 2022 (29,275)
• the average (median) age of cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision following a positive reasonable grounds decision was 76 days at the end of 2025, compared to 120 days at the end of 2024
• the HO received 7,130 reports of adult potential victims via the DtN process in 2025, the highest in a single year since the DtN began

The record number of referrals, together with the highest number of reasonable and conclusive grounds decisions since the NRM began, indicates a substantial level of activity within the system. At the same time, the number of cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision fell considerably, decreasing by 66% compared with 2024, while the median waiting time also fell from 120 to 76 days. The continued rise in referrals, including the record number of reports received through the Duty to Notify process, suggests that the identification of potential victims remains an important and ongoing issue. Taken together, the statistics show a system dealing with an unprecedented number of referrals while also making progress in reducing the outstanding caseload.

For the Home Office National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify end of year summary 2025, see here.