Child trafficking in the UK overview

Child trafficking in the UK

Child trafficking is a problem in the UK. Children are trafficked into, within and through the UK from countries primarily in Africa, Asia and eastern Europe for a number of reasons. For example, Vietnamese boys and girls are brought to London to work in cannabis-growing houses and nail bars. Children from eastern Europe are often brought to work as beggars.

UK action plan on trafficking

On Friday 23rd March 2007, the Home Office launched an Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking. The plan details current initiatives across government as well as identifying gaps in the UK’s approach to the issue.

Many of the recommendations made by World Vision during the consultation last year have been incorporated into the action plan. Of particular importance is the inclusion of a section on child victims of trafficking, recognising that the trafficking of children is not the same as the trafficking of men or women.

However, whilst the Action Plan is very thorough, World Vision believes it fails to address two key issues in relation to child trafficking:

• That the Government will not remove its Reservation to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on Immigration and Nationality which puts immigration control ahead of concern for vulnerable children.
•  That an independent national rapporteur or commissioner on human trafficking is needed to champion the issue and ensure annual reporting, with a particular focus on child victims of trafficking.

In April 2008 World Vision submitted its response to the Home Office’s consultation ‘Keeping Children Safe’ which included a question on removing the reservation referred to above. World Vision hopes the outcome of this consultation will include the Government’s agreement to withdraw the reservation

> Read our submission and accompanying letter