ECPAT UK | Blog

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

Royal Parks Half Marathon

ECPAT UK has two places up for grabs in the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 14th October 2018! By fundraising for ECPAT UK, you'll enable us to continue campaigning against child trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking survivors.

Parliamentary report on sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector highlights duty to protect vulnerable children

Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector has been an ‘open secret’ among humanitarian organisations, with individuals who report abuse continually ‘silenced and ostracised’, according to a new report by the International Development Committee which drew on evidence submitted by ECPAT UK.

Tandem Skydive

Jump into unknown for child victims of trafficking! Choose from a variety of locations across the UK to take part in a tandem skydive - the easiest and most popular of all skydives - an exhilarating way to raise money for some of the UK's most vulnerable children

ECPAT UK is core participant in landmark inquiry into child sexual abuse

ECPAT UK has been granted core participant status in the Protection of Children Outside the United Kingdom investigation held by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

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.

Current campaign: Demand specialist support for trafficked children

We are working with Care2 to call on the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP, to overhaul the current system of identification and support for victims of trafficking – the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

Child trafficking statistics

Heading back to harm: A study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

Trafficked and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are going missing from UK care at an “alarmingly high” rate, according to a new study by leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People.

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.

Our team

ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.

Stephen's case exposes failings in child trafficking support

‘Stephen’ was identified as a former child victim of trafficking but now faces the threat of removal to Vietnam. His case has rightly received significant public attention, highlighting the urgent need to reform the support system (the National Referral Mechanism) for other children who have been victims of modern slavery in the UK.

Contact us

If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. For all other enquiries related to our work, contact [email protected] or call 020 7607 2136.

About us

ECPAT UK is a leading children's rights organisation working to protect children from child trafficking and transnational child exploitation. We support children everywhere to uphold their rights and to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.