New research on modern slavery in the UK (Modern Slavery PEC / IOM, May 2026)
A new briefing analysing over a decade of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data (2014–2025) reveals striking geographic and demographic shifts in how victims of modern slavery are identified across the UK.
Key findings:
🔹 Referrals hit 23,411 in 2025 — a 22% rise on the previous year.
🔹 Men and boys now make up nearly three-quarters (74%) of all referrals, a major shift from earlier years.
🔹 UK nationals have surged from 6% of referrals (2015) to 22% (2025) — most of them children.
🔹 Exploitation is heavily concentrated: just six counties account for ~51% of cases, led by Greater London (27%) and the West Midlands (8%).
🔹 County lines remains a serious threat — 93% of flagged cases involve males, disproportionately British boys in rural and border areas.
🔹 Delays between exploitation and referral are evident, with many victims — especially boys — reaching adulthood before being identified.
The report calls for targeted prevention, better cross-county coordination, and improved data collection to protect those most at risk.
Link in our stories to the report.
#ModernSlavery #HumanTrafficking #UKPolicy
Hate crime does not end when the incident is over.
It can change how people move through daily life — where they feel safe, what places they avoid, how much they trust others, and whether they feel able to speak up.
Through our ERAVI project, we are gathering real experiences from our communities to better understand how hate crime is seen, experienced and reported — and what support people need afterwards.
The survey takes around 5 minutes, but your answers can help build stronger evidence, better awareness, and more informed action.
Please add your voice today. It truly matters.
Links in the story.
#survey #YourVoiceMatters #HateCrimeAwareness #CommunitySafety #ERAVI
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
Introducing India Birtwisle (@indiabillustration )
This Thursday, India will deliver a workshop in partnership with @gazebotheatreuk and Yam From Here. She is a diverse arts practitioner from Wolverhampton who uses visual arts to connect with audiences.
India will lead the group through a doll-making activity, focusing on their own personal and family journeys
India's "doll" creation workshop is inspired by her grandmother's experience of migrating from India to Wolverhampton in the 1960s, navigating language barriers, cultural expectations and isolation.
Stay tuned to find out more!
#heritagefunduk @heritagefunduk #blackcountry #heritage
Some people do not report hate crime because the crime itself has already made them feel unsafe.
And when someone feels unsafe, the mind does not always react with confidence, clarity or action.
Sometimes people freeze.
Sometimes they minimise what happened.
Sometimes they tell themselves: “Maybe it was not that serious.”
Sometimes they worry they will not be believed.
Sometimes they fear things will get worse if they speak up.
For many victims, hate crime is not only about the incident itself. It is about being targeted for who they are, where they come from, the language they speak, their religion, race, disability, identity or background.
That can leave people feeling exposed, ashamed, angry, anxious or alone.
During our ERAVI listening events, we heard something very important: many people do not even know that hate crime can be reported. Others tried to report before, but felt unsupported, unheard, or left without a meaningful outcome.
And this matters.
Because when people feel that reporting leads nowhere, silence becomes a survival strategy.
But hate crime should never be carried quietly by the person who experienced it.
Through ERAVI, we want to help people understand their rights, recognise hate crime, and know that support is available. Reporting is not “making trouble”. Reporting is a way of saying: this happened, it was not acceptable, and I deserve support.
If you have experienced or witnessed hate crime, you do not have to deal with it alone.
#HateCrimeAwareness #CommunitySafety #ReportHateCrime
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
#tnlcommunityfund #communitycohesion
More workshop pictures incoming!
On the 12th of April, the Yam From Here Team joined Maya Patel and Gabrielle Guy for the third in their series of three workshops at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
In keeping with Yam From Here's titular themes of Home, Journey and Community, this workshop focused on 'community' and what it means to be part of a community.
Maya led the group through a sewing activity, using items brought in by participants and Gabrielle took portrait images, utilising the participants' associations with community as a central theme.
To see the artworks produced in this workshop in person, keep updated with exhibition announcements!
Workshop pictures incoming!
On the 22nd of February, the Yam from Here team joined Vicky Roden at Oak House Museum in Sandwell for the second workshop with us.
In this workshop, Vicky led the group through a resin-casting activity in the historic 16th century yeoman's house. The group' produced their own resin casts reflecting on Yam From Here's titular themes of home, journeys and community.
To catch a glimpse of the finished product, stay tuned for updates about upcoming exhibitions in 2027!
#yamfromhere #art #blackcountry #heritage
Modern slavery doesn’t always look obvious…
It hides in plain sight:
• A worker who can’t leave their job
• Someone controlled through fear, debt, or threats
• Long hours, little or no pay, and no freedom
Modern slavery includes labour exploitation, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and criminal exploitation. Victims are often isolated, manipulated, and too afraid to speak up.
Do you know these signs of exploitation?
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
#tnlcommunityfund #communitycohesion
The importance of local businesses and enterprises cannot be underestimated.
Following two months of intensive community research and active listening in Sandwell (February–March), we had the opportunity to speak directly with many local businesses about their concerns and ongoing challenges.
What stood out most is that their experiences deeply resonate with our own. As a local enterprise, we too have often felt undervalued, underestimated, and left to navigate complex systems without sufficient support.
If we are serious about building a strong and inclusive local economy, we must act now. Supporting local businesses means protecting jobs, creating opportunities, and ensuring that wealth continues to circulate within our communities.
We are incredibly grateful to be part of this important research through the EMPOWER project UK.
Funded by the Aviva Foundation, EMPOWER is a collaborative research project between research teams based at Aston University, Coventry University and Manchester Metropolitan University, in partnership with Citizens UK, exploring the multitude of ways in which ethnic minority-led small businesses develop and maintain financial resilience.
We sincerely hope that its recommendations will be heard- and acted upon - by policymakers.
#Empower #ethnicminority #SMEs #ResearchMatters
This Friday (01/05/2026), the @yamfromhere team will be at St. Paul's Church in Walsall in partnership with Sunita Bhatti.
Sunita's Blossom Workshops offer a mindful and creative approach to mental wellbeing. The workshops invite you to slow down, breath, and reconnect with the present moment through simple, accessible creative activities.
By fousing on mindful techniques and art-making, participants learn to quiet busy thoughts, reduce stress and find calm in self-expression.
This event is open to the public, if you would like to join, but particpants should know that the venue is a dedicated space for women.
For members, participation is free and for non-members participation is £3.
Website - /creativewellbeing/services-2
Hate crime does not end when the incident ends.
It can stay with someone long after — in fear, anxiety, sleepless nights, shame, anger, isolation, or the feeling that they no longer belong in their own community.
No one should have to “just move on” after being targeted because of who they are, where they come from, their language, religion, disability, race, identity, or background.
Reporting hate crime is not making trouble.
It is protecting yourself.
It is protecting others.
It is helping build safer communities.
You do not need to face it alone. If something happened to you, or you witnessed hate crime, you can report it through our Third Party Reporting Centres at RUDA and EWA. We are here to listen, support and guide you.
Speak up. Report it. Your experience matters.
For support or to report a hate crime, contact RUDA or EWA.
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
#tnlcommunityfund #communitycohesion
We do love being out and about — and even more when it means meeting people who care about building stronger communities.
Today, our colleague @sanairam_diary -Mariana represented the #ERAVI project at the Birmingham Migration Forum, where important conversations, new connections, and shared ideas all came together in one room.
We were also delighted to meet Magda from @peopleforpeople_bham — because events like this remind us that real community work happens when organisations come together, listen to each other, and keep showing up.
At ERAVI, being present matters. It is how we build relationships, raise awareness, and make sure the voices of our communities are part of the wider conversation.
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
#tnlcommunityfund #communitycohesion #ERAVI #BirminghamMigrationForum
Hate crime should never be ignored, minimised, or suffered in silence.
If you have experienced hate crime, witnessed it, or are worried about someone else, you can report it through our Third Party Reporting Centres at RUDA and EWA. Reporting matters because it helps people access support, helps incidents be recognised for what they are, and helps build safer communities for everyone.
You do not have to face this alone. Our ERAVI team is here to listen, support, and help guide you through the reporting process in a safe and respectful way.
Please get in touch with us at RUDA or @ewa.cic - EWA to find out how to report or access support, and share this post so more people know where they can turn.
***ERAVI – EWA and RUDA Against Violence Initiative- a joint project between European’s Welfare Association CIC and RUDA and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund- The National Lottery Community Fund- Thanks to National Lottery Players.
#tnlcommunityfund #communitycohesion
