Blog | ECPAT UK

Raising more than money in ECPAT UK's summer sportathon

This summer, ECPAT UK’s supporters are taking part in a summer sportathon to raise money for our work. Our fundraiser, Lois Fallon, blogs about her experience taking part and raising more than money in the process, and shares her top tips for fundraising success. Read more

Precarious journeys, precarious futures

The devastating news of 39 people found dead in a lorry in Essex has rightly sent shockwaves across the UK and highlighted the current dangers faced by people trying to cross the UK border. We know that people migrating face precarious journeys, however their vulnerability doesn't end on arrival in the UK. Read more

ECPAT UK youth group members are Global Citizens!

Members of ECPAT UK's youth groups for victims of trafficking were recently invited to Co-op's Global Citizen event at the O2 Academy in Brixton. In this blog post, they reflect on the evening and share their experience of the event. Read more

BBC Two’s 'The Prosecutors': Highlighting gaps in support for child victims of trafficking

ECPAT UK’s Information, Media and Communications Officer, Sinead Geoghegan, blogs about BBC Two’s 'The Prosecutors' episode documenting the UK’s first conviction under the Modern Slavery Act for labour exploitation of children, and how it highlighted gaps in support for child victims. Read more

Child victims of modern slavery also suffer under the UK’s hostile immigration regime

Following the recent Windrush scandal, ECPAT UK’s Policy and Campaigns Officer, Catherine Baker, blogs about the impact of the UK's hostile immigration environment on child victims of trafficking and children at risk of exploitation. Read more

Raising awareness of child trafficking risks in Vietnam

ECPAT UK’s Project Officer, Leah Davison, recently returned from Vietnam where ECPAT UK, Anti-Slavery International and Pacific Links Foundation launched their new short film, The Secret Gardeners. Leah reflects on the film launch and the factors driving the trafficking of Vietnamese children. Read more

Failure to adhere to child protection rules puts refugee children at risk on arrival in Europe

ECPAT UK’s current Children’s Champion, solicitor Kalvir Kaur, recently returned from volunteering in Lesvos. Here she details her concerns that some refugee children arriving in Europe are being left vulnerable to exploitation. Read more

Latest

UK’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner backs call for guardianship and local decision making for trafficked children as more children than adults are identified as potential victims for the first time

In her annual report laid before Parliament today, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton, has echoed ECPAT UK’s call for Independent Child Trafficking Guardians to be immediately rolled out nationally and reaffirmed her support for localised decision making power to determine individuals’ official status as victims of trafficking at a time when more children than adults have been identified as potential victims for the first time.

ECPAT UK statement on non-affiliated campaigns against child trafficking

Child trafficking and exploitation are abhorrent crimes against those who are inherently vulnerable due to their age. Our work centres on the rights of the child. We continue to be at the forefront or holding governments, institutions and organisations accountable for children’s rights and protection. ECPAT UK works in coalition with many other organisations in the UK and abroad. However we are not affiliated or associated with recent high profile online campaigns against UK child sex offenders.

Raising more than money in ECPAT UK's summer sportathon

ECPAT UK statement on the tragic death of a child in the English Channel

Statement from Patricia Durr, CEO of ECPAT UK, on the tragic death of a 16 year old Sudanese boy in the English Channel.

The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.

The National Referral Mechanism

The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.

Demand specialist support for trafficked children

In 2018 we worked with Care2 to call on the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, to overhaul the current system of identification and support for victims of trafficking – the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Last October, an incredible 120,535 supporters called for specialist support for all trafficked children. However, the fight is not finished. Make sure your voice is heard by contacting the Home Secretary asking him to provide guardianship for all trafficked, separated and unaccompanied children

Volunteer

ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.

Before the Harm is Done: Examining the UK's response to the prevention of trafficking

The UK Government is failing to protect thousands of children from exploitation by lacking a plan to prevent child trafficking, according to a new report by the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG), a coalition of twelve UK-based charities, including ECPAT UK. The report Before the Harm is Done, stresses that the UK has no specific strategy in relation to preventing trafficking in children, putting thousands of children at risk.