Modern Day Slavery

WHAT IS THE ‘DUTY TO NOTIFY’?

From 1 November 2015, specified public authorities have a duty to notify the Home Office of any individual encountered in England and Wales who they believe is a suspected victim of slavery or human trafficking.

It is estimated that there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK in 2013. In 2015, 3,266 potential victims were identified and referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The Duty to Notify is intended to gather better data about modern slavery in England and Wales. The ‘duty to notify’ provision is set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and applies to all police forces and local authorities in England and Wales, the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and the National Crime Agency.

Home Office staff within UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement are also required, as a matter of Home Office policy,to comply with the duty to notify.

Government Guidance - Modern Day Slavery Duty to Notify

NRM Referral Form