La Strada Documentation Center

Child Trafficking in the UK: A SNAPSHOT

Document number
2537
Date
2010
Title
Child Trafficking in the UK: A SNAPSHOT
Author/publisher
End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT UK)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Guidelines/Recommendations, Media/News, Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Child Trafficking, Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, Best Interests Principle, Child Victims of Trafficking, Separated Migrant Children, Unaccompanied minors, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Child protection systems,
Summary
As this snapshot report shows there is much to be done; the UK needs a comprehensive plan of action to safeguard child victims of trafficking, covering protection, prosecution and prevention. Of immediate concern is the lack of police investigations and prosecutions for trafficking cases involving children, there are suggestions that this could be because of lack of awareness amongst professionals but there are also implications that the legislation is not fit for purpose. As a priority, all children who are suspected of being trafficked should have one person they can trust who will work in their best interest. The government should establish a system of guardianship for child victims of trafficking which would mean that every child victim of trafficking would have someone with parental responsibility to care for and support them and take decisions based on their best interests.
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