To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trafficked women have been detained in the UK in each of the last five years; and for how long on average they were detained. (291809)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained by checking individual case files only at disproportionate costs.

Under the National Referral Mechanism process, in place since 1 April 2009, when a Competent Authority establishes reasonable grounds to believe that an individual is a victim of human trafficking, that individual will not be held in immigration detention barring exceptional circumstances. When a Competent Authority identifies a victim of trafficking they should ensure that any agency investigating offences committed by the victim is made aware of the identification decision.