The Home Office says 6,277 cases were awaiting a conclusive grounds decision on 30 September 2026, down 80% from a peak of 31,101 in 2023.
The Home Office announced on 12 October 2026 that it has cleared the backlog of modern slavery cases awaiting a final decision in the National Referral Mechanism, the UK's framework for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery.
The figures show that 6,277 cases were awaiting a conclusive grounds decision as of 30 September 2026. The peak was 31,101 cases in 2023, so the current figure is an 80% reduction. A conclusive grounds decision is the final decision on whether someone is recognised as a victim of modern slavery, based on all available evidence.
The Home Office says the result meets its 2024 commitment to eradicate the backlog within 2 years. It states that faster decisions mean people who have suffered exploitation wait less time for recognition of their victim status, and that they also remove a barrier to immigration removal for people with no right to be in the UK.
The announcement links the figures to the Immigration and Asylum Bill. According to the Home Office, the bill will keep safeguards for survivors while closing opportunities for abuse of the system by those seeking to block a legitimate removal. It will also strengthen law enforcement powers and place tougher obligations on businesses and public bodies to tackle exploitation in their supply chains.
The Home Office also says it has changed the Immigration Rules so that individuals on Skilled Worker visas who are recognised as victims of modern slavery can work for any employer for the remaining duration of their visa. The announcement does not give the date of that change or the Immigration Rules paragraph.
The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Satvir Kaur, said the government had "delivered on that promise".
What this means for applicants
The announcement does not set out a new procedure. Skilled Worker visa holders recognised as victims of modern slavery can, under the changed Immigration Rules, work for any employer for the rest of their visa. The Home Office says shorter waits for a conclusive grounds decision mean they can leave exploitative employers sooner. The source gives no in-force date for that rule, so check the Immigration Rules for the wording and start date.
Sources
- Modern slavery decision backlog cleared, GOV.UK, 12 October 2026