Human trafficking in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom
is a destination and, to a lesser extent, transit country for women, children, and men trafficked
for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
and forced labour. Some victims, including minors from the UK, are also trafficked within the country. Migrant workers are trafficked to the UK for forced labour in agriculture
, construction, food processing, domestic servitude, and food service. Source countries for trafficking victims in the UK include Lithuania
, Russia
, Albania
, Ukraine
, Malaysia, Thailand
, the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.), Nigeria
, and Ghana
.
According to some non-governmental organization
(NGO) sources, in 2007 there was an increase in women identified as trafficked from both Nigeria and the P.R.C. for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Unaccompanied minor
s, including girls from the P.R.C., were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. British police estimate that up to 4,000 human trafficking victims, mostly women, are being exploited in the UK at any given time. Law enforcement operations increasingly reveal a large percentage of the trafficking problem in the UK occurs hidden in residential areas throughout the country.
The Government of the United Kingdom
fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Over the last year, UK authorities continued to launch aggressive anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts to uncover trafficking and identify victims.
, the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004
. These prescribe penalties of a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment, although the specific punishments prescribed for sex trafficking are less severe than those prescribed for rape
.
In 2007, the UK government launched Pentameter II, a large-scale operation aimed at rescuing victims, disrupting trafficking networks, developing intelligence and raising public awareness. In 2007, the government reported prosecutions involving at least 52 suspected trafficking offenders Although the government reported 75 ongoing prosecutions during the previous reporting period, it convicted only ten trafficking offenders in 2007, a significant decrease from 28 convictions obtained in 2006. Sentences imposed on convicted trafficking offenders in 2007 ranged from 20 months’ to 10 years’ imprisonment, with an average sentence of four years. In January 2008, police arrested 25 members of Romanian organized crime organizations using Romanian children, including a baby less than a year old, as pickpockets and in begging schemes.
The government continued to provide significant funding for its specialized shelter and in 2007 provided an additional $200,000 to the $4.8 million grant it awarded in 2006. The government continued to encourage victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions. Police rescued a number of children from exploitation during the reporting period; however, NGOs and international organisations continue to express serious concerns regarding the government’s ability to protect children from traffickers in the UK. In a limited 2007 study that revealed 80 reported cases of known or suspected child trafficking to the UK in the previous three years, some 60 percent of victims were found to have disappeared from social services centres. Another study conducted by the government in 2007 identified a minimum of 330 individual cases of children trafficked into the UK.
While the UK government stipulates that victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined or penalized for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked, some victims reportedly were charged and prosecuted for immigration
offences in 2007. One victim who managed to escape from her trafficker during the reporting period was repeatedly imprisoned on immigration violations, according to media sources. The UK government did not provide systematic and specialized victim care for adult victims of labour trafficking. The UK provides foreign victims with legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they face hardship or retribution. According to NGOs, however, this process continues to be cumbersome and inconsistent for victims seeking such alternatives. By filing asylum, humanitarian protection or extraordinary relief claims on a case-by-case basis, such victims may obtain residency.
To combat demand for commercial sex acts, police conducted outreach to “clients” of the sex trade and provided information on how to report possible victims of trafficking, and some localities implemented a “name and shame” program for those vehicles seen trolling such areas. Police and immigration officials distributed brochures about trafficking during the reporting period, including information on where victims can go for assistance. The Ministry of Defence provided anti-trafficking training to British nationals deployed abroad for international peacekeeping missions in 2007. To combat child sex tourism
, the government retained a registry of known paedophiles that required them to report any planned foreign travel before departure. The government sustained cooperation with Interpol
in sharing intelligence with other countries in order to intercept known sex offenders; several cases are pending.
wrote in The Guardian
that the scale of human trafficking in the UK had been grossly exaggerated. He described the frequently-made claim that there are 4000 trafficked people in the UK as an exaggeration, and argued that a moral panic
had occurred which – through its influence on the Policing and Crime Act 2009
– actually made the working conditions of sex workers more dangerous.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is a destination and, to a lesser extent, transit country for women, children, and men trafficked
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
Sexual exploitation
Sexual exploitation may refer to:*Sexual slavery*Sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian response...
and forced labour. Some victims, including minors from the UK, are also trafficked within the country. Migrant workers are trafficked to the UK for forced labour in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, construction, food processing, domestic servitude, and food service. Source countries for trafficking victims in the UK include Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Malaysia, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.), Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
According to some non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) sources, in 2007 there was an increase in women identified as trafficked from both Nigeria and the P.R.C. for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Unaccompanied minor
Unaccompanied minor
An unaccompanied minor is a child without the presence of a legal guardian. This term is used in immigration law and in airline policies. The specific definition varies from country to country and from airline to airline.-Immigration Law:...
s, including girls from the P.R.C., were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. British police estimate that up to 4,000 human trafficking victims, mostly women, are being exploited in the UK at any given time. Law enforcement operations increasingly reveal a large percentage of the trafficking problem in the UK occurs hidden in residential areas throughout the country.
The Government of the United Kingdom
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Over the last year, UK authorities continued to launch aggressive anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts to uncover trafficking and identify victims.
Prosecution
The British Government continued its proactive law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking. The UK prohibits all forms of trafficking through the Sexual Offences Act 2003Sexual Offences Act 2003
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that was passed in 2003 and became law on 1 May 2004.It replaced older sexual offences laws with more specific and explicit wording...
, the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004
The Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It set various rules for immigrants to the United Kingdom...
. These prescribe penalties of a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment, although the specific punishments prescribed for sex trafficking are less severe than those prescribed for rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
.
In 2007, the UK government launched Pentameter II, a large-scale operation aimed at rescuing victims, disrupting trafficking networks, developing intelligence and raising public awareness. In 2007, the government reported prosecutions involving at least 52 suspected trafficking offenders Although the government reported 75 ongoing prosecutions during the previous reporting period, it convicted only ten trafficking offenders in 2007, a significant decrease from 28 convictions obtained in 2006. Sentences imposed on convicted trafficking offenders in 2007 ranged from 20 months’ to 10 years’ imprisonment, with an average sentence of four years. In January 2008, police arrested 25 members of Romanian organized crime organizations using Romanian children, including a baby less than a year old, as pickpockets and in begging schemes.
Protection
The government demonstrated sustained efforts, but mixed results in its protection efforts in 2007. UK police referred 259 trafficking victims to one service-providing organization for shelter and assistance. The government began piloting a national referral mechanism as part of Pentameter II to improve identification for all potential trafficking victims in the UK. While it continued to provide care for adult women trafficked for sexual exploitation, not all identified trafficking victims received necessary care and protection. Out of 888 adult women victims referred to its specialized trafficking shelter, only 181 victims were accommodated by the limited-capacity facilities, with an additional 141 assisted on a non-resident basis only. Some of the remaining 566 victims who were not accommodated at the shelter did not meet all of the government’s criteria for admission. Victims must be over 18; involved in prostitution within 3 months of referral; willing to cooperate in the prosecution of their traffickers; and must have been trafficked into the UK from abroad. Victims who did not meet these criteria were reportedly referred to other social service agencies, NGOs, or to their respective embassies.The government continued to provide significant funding for its specialized shelter and in 2007 provided an additional $200,000 to the $4.8 million grant it awarded in 2006. The government continued to encourage victims to assist in trafficking investigations and prosecutions. Police rescued a number of children from exploitation during the reporting period; however, NGOs and international organisations continue to express serious concerns regarding the government’s ability to protect children from traffickers in the UK. In a limited 2007 study that revealed 80 reported cases of known or suspected child trafficking to the UK in the previous three years, some 60 percent of victims were found to have disappeared from social services centres. Another study conducted by the government in 2007 identified a minimum of 330 individual cases of children trafficked into the UK.
While the UK government stipulates that victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined or penalized for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked, some victims reportedly were charged and prosecuted for immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
offences in 2007. One victim who managed to escape from her trafficker during the reporting period was repeatedly imprisoned on immigration violations, according to media sources. The UK government did not provide systematic and specialized victim care for adult victims of labour trafficking. The UK provides foreign victims with legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they face hardship or retribution. According to NGOs, however, this process continues to be cumbersome and inconsistent for victims seeking such alternatives. By filing asylum, humanitarian protection or extraordinary relief claims on a case-by-case basis, such victims may obtain residency.
Prevention
In December 2007, the government launched a “Blue Blindfold” public awareness campaign in 12 major cities, including posters, a public service TV advertisement and notices on buses in high-risk areas. In 2007, the government finalized a national action plan on trafficking, including projects to reduce demand. The government awarded a grant to one NGO to develop training on child trafficking in 2007 and provided funding for the development of an advice line on child trafficking for front-line care-givers.To combat demand for commercial sex acts, police conducted outreach to “clients” of the sex trade and provided information on how to report possible victims of trafficking, and some localities implemented a “name and shame” program for those vehicles seen trolling such areas. Police and immigration officials distributed brochures about trafficking during the reporting period, including information on where victims can go for assistance. The Ministry of Defence provided anti-trafficking training to British nationals deployed abroad for international peacekeeping missions in 2007. To combat child sex tourism
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
, the government retained a registry of known paedophiles that required them to report any planned foreign travel before departure. The government sustained cooperation with Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
in sharing intelligence with other countries in order to intercept known sex offenders; several cases are pending.
Alleged moral panic
In 2009 the journalist Nick DaviesNick Davies
Nick Davies is a British investigative journalist, writer and documentary maker.Davies has written extensively as a freelancer, as well as for The Guardian and The Observer, and been named Reporter of the Year Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year at the British Press Awards...
wrote in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that the scale of human trafficking in the UK had been grossly exaggerated. He described the frequently-made claim that there are 4000 trafficked people in the UK as an exaggeration, and argued that a moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
had occurred which – through its influence on the Policing and Crime Act 2009
Policing and Crime Act 2009
The Policing and Crime Act 2009 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes provision about police reform, prostitutes, sex offenders, sex establishments and certain other premises...
– actually made the working conditions of sex workers more dangerous.