Written questions by Lowe.

Whether the Government has considered the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation in its May 2024 rapid review of the Graduate Route that universities be required to publish annual data on their use of international recruitment agents, including expenditure and the number of students recruited through such agents; and whether the Government plans to take this recommendation forward.

The Home Office is taking steps to improve data quality and transparency regarding agents. From 7 April Student sponsors will be required to provide agent details on the Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for all student applications where the sponsor has used an agent to recruit the student. From the same date, all sponsors will also be required to adhere to the Agent Quality Framework (AQF).Minimum academic, attendance and engagement requirements already apply to the Graduate route. Graduate applicants are required to have successfully completed an eligible qualification whilst holding permission on the Student route and student sponsors are required to comply with the Home Office’s academic engagement policy in relation to all sponsored students.As announced in the Immigration White Paper, from 1 January 2027 Graduates will be granted 18 months of permission instead of 2 years in recognition of the need for Graduates to transition into Graduate level jobs more quickly.

Whether her Department has considered introducing minimum attendance or engagement requirements as part of the eligibility criteria for the Graduate Route in light of the Migration Advisory Committee’s findings on data quality and student engagement in its May 2024 rapid review.

The Home Office is taking steps to improve data quality and transparency regarding agents. From 7 April Student sponsors will be required to provide agent details on the Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for all student applications where the sponsor has used an agent to recruit the student. From the same date, all sponsors will also be required to adhere to the Agent Quality Framework (AQF).Minimum academic, attendance and engagement requirements already apply to the Graduate route. Graduate applicants are required to have successfully completed an eligible qualification whilst holding permission on the Student route and student sponsors are required to comply with the Home Office’s academic engagement policy in relation to all sponsored students.As announced in the Immigration White Paper, from 1 January 2027 Graduates will be granted 18 months of permission instead of 2 years in recognition of the need for Graduates to transition into Graduate level jobs more quickly.

How many and what proportion of people that entered the UK under the Gaza medical evacuation scheme have applied for asylum.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of people claiming asylum by nationality is published in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets’, while data on the number of people claiming asylum in the UK by route of entry to the UK, and by latest category of leave prior to claim for those who entered on a visa or with other leave, is published in table Asy_D01a.The requested information on asylum claims from individuals who entered the UK under the Gaza medical evacuation scheme is not available from published statistics.

If she will set out the ten local authority areas that recorded the highest number of National Referral Mechanism referrals relating to sexual exploitation in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many girls are currently listed as missing, broken down by local authority.

The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces.The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency

How many people referred to the National Referral Mechanism in each of the last three calendar years were foreign nationals; and what the ten most common nationalities were.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

What estimate her Department has made of destination country for girls trafficked from the UK overseas for sexual exploitation.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people convicted of human trafficking or sexual exploitation offences in each of the last three calendar years were foreign nationals at the time of conviction.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people have been identified as potential victims of human trafficking and modern slavery under the National Referral Mechanism in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by age and sex.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people were (a) charged and (b) convicted for offences related to human trafficking or sexual exploitation following National Referral Mechanism referrals in each of the last three calendar years.

The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations specifically following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on charges or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation. Given this, we are unable to provide the information you have requested.Prosecutions and convictions data related to modern slavery is recorded by the Crown Prosecution Service in their quarterly data summaries. Sentencing data for modern slavery offences in England and Wales is published by the Ministry of Justice in their Criminal Justice System statistics. Offences and charges data for modern slavery is published in the Home Office police recorded crime statistics collection.

How many people referred to the National Referral Mechanism stated they were under 18 at the point of referral in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people were referred into the National Referral Mechanism broken down by age, sex, and primary exploitation type for the latest quarter for which data is available.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people have been arrested for human trafficking or sexual exploitation offences in the most recent complete quarter for which data is available, and what the nationality of those individuals was.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people referred to the National Referral Mechanism had their claimed age disputed by a local authority or her Department in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people under 18 were referred to the National Referral Mechanism for sexual exploitation in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people were arrested for offences relating to human trafficking or sexual exploitation in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by immigration status at the time of arrest.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many people referred to the National Referral Mechanism primarily to sexual exploitation, broken down by sex and age group in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

How many police investigations were initiated following National Referral Mechanism referrals relating to sexual exploitation in each of the last three calendar years.

Modern slavery is a vicious crime that dehumanises people for profit. The Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms and to giving survivors the support and certainty they need to recover. The Government is continually looking to improve the quality and provision of modern slavery statistics. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. All relevant information can be obtained from the published statistical releases, available here: National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK. Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here UK Data Service. The Home Office does not collect data on police investigations following an NRM referral or disaggregated data on arrests or convictions for human trafficking or sexual exploitation alongside an individual’s nationality or immigration status. Whatever form it takes, exploitation, human trafficking, and modern slavery is abuse, and relevant child protection procedures must be followed if there is any suspicion a child may be at risk. Child victims do not need to provide consent to enter the NRM. If a statutory First Responder Organisation encounters a child they suspect to be a victim, they must refer them into the NRM in line with their statutory duties and to the relevant local authority in line with child protection procedures. All NRM referrals are additionally referred to the police. The UK is committed to working with international partners to prevent exploitation both domestically and abroad. We continue to fund programmes in priority countries to directly combat modern slavery in the UK and work closely with international partners to ensure we meet our international obligations to support victims. As the Home Secretary has previously said, we advise that any evidence of trafficking of girls overseas is brought to the attention of the police.

If her Department will publish all information it holds on child sexual exploitation committed by illegal migrants.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics and there is no immediate intention to publish them.Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.In the twelve months between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, over 5,600 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, a 12% increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streetsIn April 2025, the Home Office announced that it would – for the first time – categorise as a ‘particularly serious crime’ for the purpose of the Refugee Convention any conviction resulting in the offender being made subject to the notification requirements for sex offenders, regardless of the length of sentence they receive, thereby allowing the UK to exclude those individuals from being granted any right to claim asylum protections.We will build on these reforms across the immigration system, as well as the asylum system, amending our policies and guidance to ensure we are upholding UK laws - taking action to prevent individuals who pose a danger to the British public from being allowed to stay in the UK, and taking much earlier action on a wider range of crimes.We will set out more detailed reforms and stronger measures to ensure our laws are upheld, including streamlining and speeding up the removals process. That will include establishing new procedures so that the Home Office can more easily take enforcement and removal action and revoke visas in a much wider range of crimes where non-custodial sentences have been given, not just cases which are sent to prison.

How many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.

The Home Office Hotel booking operator is currently unable to provide star‑rating information for the hotels displayed within their booking tool.This is because several external content providers do not supply star ratings consistently, which means the operator cannot offer accurate or reliable star‑rating data to its customers.