[child-rights] UNICEF urges UK to protect trafficked children by closing legal loophole

UNICEF URGES UK TO PROTECT TRAFFICKED CHILDREN BY CLOSING LEGAL LOOPHOLE
New York, Jul 30 2003  2:00PM

Youngsters from a growing number of countries are being imported into the 
United Kingdom against their will as cheap labour, often ending up in 
prostitution, according to a new report published today by the United 
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The report, Stop the Traffic!, was released as part of UNICEF's campaign in 
the United Kingdom to end child exploitation. With increasing instances of 
children being illegally transported from West Africa, Eastern Europe or 
Asia surfacing in places such as Newcastle and Nottingham, the report urges 
Great Britain to introduce a law to prohibit any form of child trafficking.

According to the report, the hundreds of known cases of trafficked children 
are just the tip of the iceberg ­ thousands more may be imported into the 
UK every year, but the scale of the problem is hidden by the nature of the 
crime and a lack of police statistics because trafficking has not been a 
criminal offence.

"Trafficking is a serious abuse of child rights and is the fastest growing 
business of organized crime since its is seen as less risky that drug 
trafficking," said David Bull, UNICEF UK's Executive Director. The study 
bears out that claim, noting that children are being brought to cities all 
over the UK, indicating that traffickers are widening their operations and 
targeting places where authorities are less aware of the issue.

"Until very recently, trafficking wasn't even illegal and is only a crime 
if carried out for sexual exploitation," Mr. Bull said, stressing that the 
British Government must criminalize trafficking for all purposes and should 
introduce central funding for specialist care and protection for the victims.

The Government's Sexual Offences Bill, currently in the House of Commons, 
makes it illegal to traffic people into the UK for sexual exploitation, but 
children imported for other work remain unprotected. UNICEF is urging the 
Government to close this loophole and make it illegal to traffic a child 
for any purpose. The agency also stresses that any government funding 
scheme should include training for immigration officers, social workers, 
counselling and safe houses.



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