Population · Asylum & small boats · 14 October 2026
Home Office clears modern slavery case backlog
Home Office says it has cleared the backlog of modern slavery cases awaiting final decisions. It says there are 6,277 cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision as of 30 September 2026.
Home Office says the government has cleared the backlog of modern slavery cases awaiting final decisions. The department states that it met its 2024 commitment to clear the backlog within 2 years. This action is part of a broader effort to manage the caseload more effectively.
It says there are 6,277 cases awaiting a conclusive grounds decision as of 30 September 2026. This figure represents an 80% reduction from the peak of 31,101 cases in 2023. Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Satvir Kaur, said: "We inherited an inefficient modern slavery system completely out of control."
The announcement notes that faster decisions help victims spend less time waiting for recognition of their status. It also states that faster decisions remove barriers to immigration removal for those without the right to remain. The Immigration and Asylum Bill aims to strengthen protections for victims while closing opportunities for abuse.
Changes to Immigration Rules allow skilled worker visa holders recognised as victims to work for any employer for the remaining visa duration. The notes do not specify further details on the implementation timeline for these rule changes beyond the current case count date.
Written by StreetOwl from Home Office’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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