Home Office

Data on revocations of sponsor licences for care homes by county is not available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The route to challenge any revocation decision is through the civil courts and determinations relating to sponsor compliance action can be found in published determinations handed down by the Judiciary.

The Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU) is responsible for driving and co-ordinating efforts across Government to tackle drugs, working in close partnership with six departments – the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Education. JCDU comprises full-time civil servants who are seconded from key government departments.

Each department is responsible for delivery of their programmes and projects. Progress is overseen by the lead departmental ministers but also reported to me as the lead drugs Minister, while a lead Permanent Secretary fulfils the role of senior responsible owner at official level.

Illicit drug use affects the whole of society, and this Government is taking a collective response to deliver safer streets, improve health outcomes and contribute to opportunities and growth through reducing crime and saving lives.

In February the Government made the Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2026 to amend the definition of key national infrastructure in the Public Order Act 2023, to include life sciences infrastructure. This extended the offence of deliberate or reckless disruption or interference with the use or operation of key national infrastructure in England and Wales to the life sciences sector. The regulations came into force on 12 February 2026.

The College of Policing, in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, will shortly be issuing operational guidance to police force command teams on this legislative change.

Decisions on the methods of disposal of seized vehicles are operational matters for individual police forces, or the recovery bodies acting on their behalf, to determine.

The police have powers under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles, including off-road electric motorbikes. The Government intends, though the Crime and Policing Bill, to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles being used anti-socially with officers no longer required to issue a section 59 warning before seizure can occur.

Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a range of stakeholders with an interest in firearms related issues, including the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), from time to time and will continue to do so.

I had a meeting with BASC on 12 November 2025 to discuss firearms issues.

The Government expects all police forces to respond swiftly to requests for information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

No assessment has been made of the performance of Thames Valley police in this regard.

The Home Office does collect and publish official statistics on the number of charges for the offences of ‘Procuring illegal abortion’ offences and ‘intentional destruction of a viable unborn child’ recorded by the police in England and Wales.

However, it is not possible to separately identify investigations relating to the termination of pregnancy through the pills-by-post scheme in data that is held centrally.

The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, in the interests of public safety.

We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we bring forward after the consultation, including in relation to the police, in the normal way.

There has been action taken by the National Crime Agency and police forces in England and Wales against certain types of imitation firearms that have been found to be readily convertible into lethal firing firearms. Such imitation firearms, depending on their features, are subject to firearms legislation and are illegal. An amnesty was held in February this year to allow owners of the certain types of imitation firearms of concern to hand them into police stations so they can be disposed of safely.

Discussions were held with the authorities in Scotland about the imitation firearms of concern, including Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and the Scottish Government, and I also wrote to the Lord Advocate about whether a similar scheme could be introduced in Scotland. We were advised that the operational and legal context in Scotland were different, and a public awareness campaign would be considered to support public safety in respect of these imitation firearms.

The Home Office was invited by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to input to the consultation on the ethnicity harmonised standard. Any changes recommended to the ethnicity harmonisations standard will be applied to our departmental statistics, where applicable, in due course.

It was an open consultation, so anyone could provide a response on an individual basis. The Home Office gathered views from across the department and provided an organisational response.

ONS committed to publish all responses to the consultation, with the names of organisations to be included alongside their response. In line with government consultation principles, a response should be published within 12 weeks of the consultation.

The police are responsible for collision investigations and for establishing the circumstances that have led to deaths and life changing injuries on our roads.

The police investigation and release of forensic collision investigation reports, along with decisions on how available resources in completing and releasing forensic collision investigation reports, along with decisions are the deployment of available resources, are the responsibility of Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners who take into account specific local problems and demands when making those decisions.

Section 54(1) of the Police Act 1996 sets out that Inspectors are known as HM Inspectors of Constabulary and there are no plans to change this.

There are no plans for HM Passport Office to remove the “HM” reference from its public branding.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

Statistics regarding the UK population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

Statistics regarding the UK population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Currently there is limited data covering this area, however 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 in 2009, overtaking the record from the previous year (2024). Females most often reported sexual exploitation (28%; 1,679). As a result, the Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational activity aimed at tackling modern slavery threats, and targeting prolific perpetrators.

Chevening Scholars are required, under the terms of their scholarship, to return to their home country at the end of their studies. These conditions apply to all scholars and mean they must leave the UK on completion of their course unless they obtain written consent from the scholarship provider to apply for further permission in the UK, including under the Graduate route. The Government has no plans to introduce a dedicated post‑study visa for Chevening Scholars.

Chevening Scholars are required, under the terms of their scholarship, to return to their home country at the end of their studies. These conditions apply to all scholars and mean they must leave the UK on completion of their course unless they obtain written consent from the scholarship provider to apply for further permission in the UK, including under the Graduate route. The Government has no plans to introduce a dedicated post‑study visa for Chevening Scholars.

Statistics on UK Visas and Immigration applications is published in table VSI_01a on GOV.UK in the ‘Summary of latest statistics - GOV.UK’, as part of the 'Migration Transparency data'. The information displayed goes back to 2021. For migration transparency data before 2021 please see the ‘Migration transparency data - GOV.UK – March 2014 to December 2024’ on National Archives website.

The VSI_01a data table provides data on the volume of overseas and in-country applications received and input for each route, performance against service standard for each route and the number of applications that remain outstanding (work in progress – WIP).

Statistics on UK Visas and Immigration applications is published in table VSI_01a on GOV.UK in the ‘Summary of latest statistics - GOV.UK’, as part of the 'Migration Transparency data'. The information displayed goes back to 2021. For migration transparency data before 2021 please see the ‘Migration transparency data - GOV.UK – March 2014 to December 2024’ on National Archives website.

The VSI_01a data table provides data on the volume of overseas and in-country applications received and input for each route, performance against service standard for each route and the number of applications that remain outstanding (work in progress – WIP).

The 90 day application window will come into effect through a change to the Immigration Rules this spring.

The Home Office has stated that updates on the implementation of the new 90‑day period will be published on the official guidance page. The most up‑to‑date information is located here: Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme - GOV.UK

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

We sought views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, which was open between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. We will now carefully review and analyse all responses received and the findings will support the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures. Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model and will consider the impacts on different groups, including children where relevant, and will be published in due course.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

There is a 6 month processing time for straightforward applications made by Turkish business persons under the European Communities Association Agreement. There has been no change to this service standard. Individual applications may take longer to decide when additional steps are required, including requests for further information, checks with other government departments and detailed investigations concerning the businesses being relied on in the application.

Exiting all asylum hotels as soon as possible is one of the Government’s top priorities and must be executed through a controlled, managed and orderly plan of work. This plan involves reducing inflow, speeding up caseworking, maximising utilisation of our estate, continuing to increase returns and exploring the use of large sites as suitable alternative accommodation.

We have already made significant progress. At the end of December 2025, 30,657 asylum seekers (29) were in hotel accommodation, 19% lower than at the end of December 2024. The number of hotels in use as asylum accommodation remains significantly below hotel usage at its peak under the previous government in summer 2023, when more than 400 hotels were in use. As of 4^th January, there are 197 hotels in use and we will not rest until we close every single one.

The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be limited to, social care costs. However, individual local authorities are free to determine how best to utilise the funding provided as long as they can demonstrate it has been used to support asylum seekers in their areas.

Full details of the grant can be found here - Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

The Home Office provides funding to local authorities, to assist with eligible expenditure costs of supporting asylum seekers in asylum accommodation in their areas, through the asylum dispersal grant. Expenditure for the funding may include, but not be limited to, social care costs. However, individual local authorities are free to determine how best to utilise the funding provided as long as they can demonstrate it has been used to support asylum seekers in their areas.

Full details of the grant can be found here - Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

The Home Office is monitoring the situation in Iran and the impacts that it will have.

The Home Office commenced a time-limited enhanced family returns pilot on 5 March, which offers eligible families up to £10,000 per person to leave the UK, capped at £40,000 per family.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

The Home Secretary’s announcement on 2 March marks a significant change in direction away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and is the first step towards the introduction of the “core protection” model announced last November.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months will apply to adults and families, including accompanied asylum-seeking children who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before 2 March 2026, so that existing rules continue to apply. We will not seek to revoke or amend existing leave that has already been granted.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 are not in scope of this Rules change. UASC granted protection status will receive 5 years’ leave, including former UASC who have turned age 18 before being granted protection status. This position on UASC who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026 will remain whilst the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.

On Core Protection, a refugee will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Not everyone who has been granted protection will undergo a review of their protection needs when renewing their status. Only those who remain on Core Protection, and do not switch into the Protection Work and Study route, will be subject to this review. People who do integrate will be able to obtain greater certainty about their future in the UK.

This Government has never operated a policy of automatic settlement for refugees granted limited permission. Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right. The need for protection is not always permanent, and therefore it is right that we re-assess whether individuals still require protection before granting them further permission to stay or settlement in the UK. It has been a long-standing position that safe return reviews must be conducted when considering settlement protection applications.

Every case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account evidence that a person provided as part of their claim, and the latest objective country information. Where it is concluded that the person is no longer at risk on return, their protection status may be revoked and they may be removed.

Any adult or accompanied child who claims asylum on or after 2 March 2026 and is granted refugee status or humanitarian protection will be given ‘Core Protection’, for a period of 30 months. This change is intended to reduce the pull factors behind high numbers of asylum claims, by moving towards a more temporary refugee status with regular reviews.

Importantly, the core protection model encourages refugees to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK from 20 years. It also allows the Government to exert more control over those entering the UK.

While the Government has not set any formal target for a reduction in asylum claims, experience in other countries, including Denmark, suggests that less generous and less permanent protection can reduce application numbers over time. Our focus remains on making the system fairer, providing protection only for as long as it is needed, and encouraging people to use safe and legal routes.

We will work with the UN Refugee Agency, community groups and other partners to identify refugees and displaced people who can either study, work or are supported by a community group in the UK. As set out in the Restoring Order and Control statement, these routes will be capped. The number of individuals that will arrive under each capped route is subject to further policy development. Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK and draw on a multisource model to build a comprehensive picture of that threat.

The Government works closely with law enforcement, government departments, international partners, civil society and affected individuals to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies, identify patterns of behaviour, and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent transnational repression (TNR). A dedicated team has now been established within the Home Office to coordinate this work and act as a focal point across HMG.

The Government will continue to deepen its understanding of TNR and ensure that the systems used to detect, deter and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of state-directed activity should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

We understand concerns about the lack of dedicated funding for the specialist Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Programme from April 2026, which has historically sat under the National Police Chief Council’s Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Lead.

The modern slavery programme was established in 2017 as a transformation programme, with the long‑term intention of embedding modern slavery expertise and best practice into policing as business as usual. It has been instrumental in improving the law enforcement response to modern slavery, with more investigations and more prosecutions now than when the programme began.

As with all transformation programmes, it is appropriate that it concludes once core objectives have been achieved. It is owing to the success of the programme, with forces better equipped to tackle modern slavery, that we must now ensure a consistent and standardised response to modern slavery across all forces to drive performance and hold the police accountable. This is in line with the Government’s wider ambitions to reform policing as set out in the White Paper, "From Local to National: A New Model for Policing".

In its final year of funding, under the Ministerial Modern Slavery Action Plan for 2025/26, the modern slavery programme has developed a framework for investigating modern slavery, capturing the expertise and lessons learnt from the past eight years of the programme. The framework and related guidance material will be made available to all officers in England and Wales through an online knowledge hub and has been incorporated into the College of Policing’s Applied Professional Practice on Modern Slavery. This will ensure that policing retains a nationally consistent standard for modern slavery investigations and a clear basis for sustaining capability once the programme concludes.

The department will continue to work with police forces across England and Wales to support a strong, coordinated approach to identifying, disrupting, and tackling modern slavery, and to oversee an orderly transition as the central modern slavery policing capability comes to a close.

The ‘Men and Boys Explanatory Note’ explains how the Strategy considers and addresses the needs of men and boys in detail. It underlines how the strategy speaks to men and boys, by addressing the key issues that the male victims’ sector has raised with us as priorities for change. All victims, including men and boys, are considered and integrated into our response throughout the Strategy and our metrics to halve these crimes.

The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection will play a central role in delivering the VAWG Strategy, providing national coordination to ensure police commitments are implemented consistently across all forces and strengthening the police response to these crimes for all victims, including men and boys.

The VAWG Strategy is a 10-year, adaptive plan, designed to evolve in response to changing contexts. It is underpinned by a 3-year Action Plan and we will provide regular updates on progress as we deliver on our commitments.

Published in December 2025, “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls” committed to conducting an additional study to explore the viability of the approach recommended by the University of Birmingham in producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.

The government is clear that whilst forced marriage disproportionately impacts women and girls, it also impacts men and boys. Whilst the study is still ongoing, any national prevalence estimate for forced marriage would include male victims.

We want to ensure that all victims of modern slavery, regardless of nationality or residency status, are quickly identified and can access support through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which is the UK’s system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA 2015) provides a statutory defence against prosecution for victims of modern slavery who were compelled to carry out criminal offences as a result of their exploitation (adults); or committed offences as a direct consequence of being a victim of modern slavery (children). Schedule 4 to the MSA 2015 contains a list of serious offences to which the section 45 defence does not apply. The list includes the most serious crimes such as sexual offences, some terrorism offences, modern slavery offences and serious violence offences. In cases where the section 45 defence does not apply, prosecutors can take into account other non-punishment principles, such as duress and the public interest test when determining whether to pursue charges against an individual.

Potential victims are entitled to a recovery period in the National Referral Mechanism, unless disqualified on grounds of public order or bad faith. This recovery period protects individuals (who have a Reasonable Grounds decision) from potential removal from the UK for a minimum of 30 days, or until a Conclusive Grounds decision is made on their case, whichever is the longer.

The Nationalities and Borders Act 2022 set the threshold for Public Order Disqualification (POD) on grounds including criminality and national security threats. POD decisions require a balancing of public order risk against the individual’s need for modern slavery specific support, taking account of factors such as relevant convictions and potential exploitation linked to those offences. Decision-making on POD is currently paused.

Adult and child victims of modern slavery with a Conclusive Grounds decision, and where applicable their dependent children, may be considered for Temporary Permission to Stay (TPS) in the UK if they do not already have status in the UK. Individuals granted TPS may still apply for a more advantageous form of leave if eligible. TPS does not lead to settlement in the UK.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. Contributions will now be analysed, and the findings will support the development of the final model.

We specifically consulted on victims of domestic abuse and how an earned settlement system may be tailored for this group considering their vulnerability. We will continue to have pathways to settlement for domestic abuse victims.

Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model and published in due course.

Operational details of the scheme are not disclosed outside of what has already been published as this may impact migrant behaviour or be exploited by organised crime gangs.

Removing minors to France is explicitly prohibited under Article 4(2)(d) of the Agreement.

Individuals are not removed to France where their age is in dispute, given the terms of the Treaty sets out that those removed will be individuals who have been determined to be an adult. We have recently seen several cases where migrants in this country are claiming to be children to prevent their removal.

This can happen despite having claimed to be an adult upon arrival in the country.

We do not house people in service accommodation. Any former military sites that we do use are not available to the Armed Services.

The UK government has a statutory obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced. We have committed to exiting hotels at the earliest opportunity, and in order to do this we need to stand up alternative accommodation which is better suited to this purpose.

As part of our commitment to close all asylum hotels, we are looking at a range of more appropriate sites including ex-military sites, so we can reduce the impact on communities. Decisions on the use of alternative asylum accommodation sites are made on a site-by-site basis.