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United Kingdom
Due to the covert and illegal nature of trafficking, statistics are scarce. But an International Labour Organisation (2005) report estimates that a minimum of 2.45 million people are victims of trafficking annually and that children represent some 50% of this highly lucrative (US$ 32 billion annually) human rights abuse.
Children in particular are highly vulnerable to being trafficked. This is especially true for those from backgrounds of often violent and dysfunctional families, poverty, lack of educational opportunities, gender inequality and living in regions of conflict. Traffickers understand these vulnerabilities and are ready to exploit them by luring children or their families by false promises of a better future abroad. These children have no realisation of the abuse that is awaiting them.
Although media stories focus on trafficking of children for sexual purposes, ECPAT UK considers that trafficking of children for labour exploitation is more frequent but less documented. However, even children trafficked for other purposes than sexual exploitation are still highly vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.
There are still no clear or constant trends demonstrating a pattern on the routes taken or the nationalities involved. ECPAT UK’s 2004 and 2007 research on child trafficking into the UK shows Eastern European girls often come into the UK accompanied by the trafficker, or are met by the trafficker soon after arriving. They invariably have a prior relationship with the trafficker who uses coercive tactics, including deception, threats, the use of physical or sexual violence and debt bondage to control the girls.
African children, on the other hand, are found to enter the UK as separated children (unaccompanied minors), or with adults purporting to be relatives. These children enter alone at a port of entry and claim asylum. Due to their age, they are taken into care by social services. But, once in care, they follow pre-arranged plans to contact their trafficker and at some point after that – it could be straight away or six months later – go missing.
A key issue ranging across all nationalities is that of trafficked children going missing. ECPAT UK’s 2007 research found that out of 80 cases of known or suspected child victims of trafficking, 48 (60%) have gone missing from social services care and have never been found. Often, local authorities struggle with limited resources, expertise and the uncertain immigration status of trafficked children.
These children and young people often suffer mental, physical and/or sexual abuse. The consequences are devastating, and affect all aspects of their lives. Many of these children lose their trust in adults, become anti-social, fearful and nervous. This fear is very real because they are threatened with violence should they try to escape or seek help.
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