Submitted by crinadmin on
[19 January 2007] - Children’s organisation ECPAT UK has launched a groundbreaking new report on child trafficking in England. Called Missing Out, the report includes a summary of research findings across the North-East, the North-West and the Midlands. The report highlights the cases of 80 children known or suspected of being trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and forced marriage. More shocking is that 48 of these children have gone missing from social services care and have never been found. ECPAT UK is calling on the Government to launch a national enquiry into missing children from abroad in light of grave new fears about child trafficking and child slavery. Christine Beddoe, Director of ECPAT UK, said today that “child victims of trafficking are missing out on accessing essential care because of their isolation, their uncertain immigration status and because they have no advocate who can speak on their behalf about their special needs”. Through this report ECPAT UK is challenging the government to prioritise child protection over immigration concerns. Ms Beddoe said, “Child trafficking is a contemporary form of slavery and children must get access to safety, security and proper health care. UK immigration control strategies treat these children as illegal migrants first, children second, and this creates a barrier to keeping them safe”. Colette Marshall, UK Director of Save the Children, the organisation that co-funded the report, said: "This report has uncovered important evidence about the extent and nature of child trafficking in the UK. The trafficking of children is not simply an immigration issue - it is a global problem and an abuse of a child's fundamental rights that results in children being deeply traumatised and damaged both physically and mentally in the long term." The report can also be downloaded on ECPAT's website at www.ecpat.org.uk/publications.html Notes 1. Eighty children were reported as known, suspected or likely to have been victims of trafficking over the last three years. Twenty-two were under 16 years of age. 2. Of the 80 children, 48 have gone missing and never been traced. 3. Children in the study came from China, Vietnam, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Congo, Somalia, Liberia, Eritrea, Burundi, Uganda, Moldova, Russia and Albania. Further information
pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/ecpat_missing_out.pdf