Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
ECPAT UK
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Donate
  • Twitter
Menu
  • The issues
    • Child trafficking, exploitation and modern slavery
      • Definitions
      • Child trafficking statistics
      • FAQs
    • Transnational child exploitation
      • Definitions
      • FAQs
  • Who we are
    • Who we are
      • Who we are
      • About us
      • Our approach
      • Our team
      • ECPAT International
      • Our history
      • Contact us
    • Impact and achievements
      • Our achievements
      • Row for Freedom
    • How we're funded
    • Annual reports
    • Contact us
    • Keep in touch
    • Work with us
  • What we do
    • Campaigns and petitions
    • Supporting young people
    • Research
    • Policy
    • Training
    • Projects
    • Children's champions
      • View our Children's Champions
  • Latest news
    • News and press releases
    • Blog
  • Resources
    • Practitioner Resources
      • Legislation
      • Guidance
      • Useful tools
    • Publications
      • Reports
        • Child trafficking and modern slavery research
        • Transnational child exploitation research
        • Online child sexual abuse research
      • Briefings
  • How you can help
    • Donate
    • Give a regular gift
    • Fundraise for us
    • Companies and corporate giving
    • Leave a gift in your will
    • Volunteer
    • Keep in touch
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • ECPAT UK welcomes the announcement of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

    ECPAT UK welcomes the announcement of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

    Eleanor Lyons, current Deputy to the Children's Commissioner, has been announced as the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner today by the Home Office after 18 month vacancy Read more

  • High Court orders Home Office to transfer unaccompanied children from hotels into care

    High Court orders Home Office to transfer unaccompanied children from hotels into care

    At a further High Court hearing on 15th September Mr Justice Chamberlain ordered the Home Office to take all possible steps to transfer all unaccompanied children seeking asylum currently in Home Office hotels to local authority care by 22 September 2023. Read more

  • High Court retains oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children

    High Court retains oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children

    At a further High Court hearing on 17th August Mr Justice Chamberlain ordered continued oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children by the Home Secretary and Kent County Council, marking the unlawful conduct of the local authority by a specific declaration and setting out further conditions and evidence for the defendants to comply with and a further court hearing. Read more

  • ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children

    ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children

    The High Court has upheld ECPAT UK's claim that both Kent County Council and the Secretary of State for the Home Department have acted unlawfully in respect duties owed to children under The Children Act 1989 and routine placement of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in hotels. Read more

  • ECPAT UK welcomes the announcement of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
  • High Court orders Home Office to transfer unaccompanied children from hotels into care
  • High Court retains oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children
  • ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children
  • Next
  • Prev
  1. Latest news
  2. News and press releases

News

Judge rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in the case brought by Kent County Council on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme

Judge rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in the case brought by Kent County Council on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme

High Court rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in its operation of the National Transfer Scheme in a further judgement about the accommodation of unaccompanied children in Home Office hotels. Read more

Published: 28th November, 2023

Author: Helen O'Neill

King’s Speech announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims

King’s Speech announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims

The King’s Speech, which was held on 7th November 2023, announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims. Read more

Published: 8th November, 2023

Updated: 24th November, 2023

Author: Helen O'Neill

ECPAT UK welcomes the announcement of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

ECPAT UK welcomes the announcement of a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

Eleanor Lyons, current Deputy to the Children's Commissioner, has been announced as the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner today by the Home Office after 18 month vacancy Read more

Published: 11th October, 2023

Author: Helen O'Neill

High Court orders Home Office to transfer unaccompanied children from hotels into care

High Court orders Home Office to transfer unaccompanied children from hotels into care

At a further High Court hearing on 15th September Mr Justice Chamberlain ordered the Home Office to take all possible steps to transfer all unaccompanied children seeking asylum currently in Home Office hotels to local authority care by 22 September 2023. Read more

Published: 3rd October, 2023

Updated: 4th October, 2023

Author: Helen O'Neill

High Court retains oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children

High Court retains oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children

At a further High Court hearing on 17th August Mr Justice Chamberlain ordered continued oversight of the treatment of unaccompanied children by the Home Secretary and Kent County Council, marking the unlawful conduct of the local authority by a specific declaration and setting out further conditions and evidence for the defendants to comply with and a further court hearing. Read more

Published: 24th August, 2023

Updated: 4th October, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children

ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children

The High Court has upheld ECPAT UK's claim that both Kent County Council and the Secretary of State for the Home Department have acted unlawfully in respect duties owed to children under The Children Act 1989 and routine placement of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in hotels. Read more

Published: 27th July, 2023

Updated: 31st July, 2023

Author: Laura Duran

ECPAT UK joined court hearing for its legal challenge to Kent County Council and the Home Secretary on the accommodation of unaccompanied children to be heard on 20th and 21st July 2023

ECPAT UK joined court hearing for its legal challenge to Kent County Council and the Home Secretary on the accommodation of unaccompanied children to be heard on 20th and 21st July 2023

Following an application for judicial review of the treatment of unaccompanied children made on the 9th June 2023 by ECPAT UK, the charity has been granted permission.  The case will be heard in Administrative Court 1, Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st July. Read more

Published: 19th July, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group writes to parliamentarians about the risks to children in the Illegal Migration Bill

ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group writes to parliamentarians about the risks to children in the Illegal Migration Bill

Members of ECPAT UK’s Youth Advisory Group warn that the measures in the Illegal Migration Bill will leave children unsafe and at risk of trafficking and retrafficking. The young people who arrived in the UK unaccompanied and who have experienced modern slavery have written to parliamentarians to share their own experiences and to urge them to protect children in votes on the Illegal Migration Bill In a letter, Read more

Published: 28th June, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

ECPAT UK launches legal challenge to Kent County Council and the Home Secretary on the accommodation of unaccompanied children

ECPAT UK launches legal challenge to Kent County Council and the Home Secretary on the accommodation of unaccompanied children

For the first time in its history, ECPAT UK is taking steps to legally challenge the government and Kent County Council to uphold the rights of children and stop the continued practice by the Home Office of unlawfully placing unaccompanied children in hotels Over 150 children who remain missing from these hotels and 5,570 accommodated there Read more

Published: 11th June, 2023

Updated: 28th July, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

Refugee Month - join us in calling for #CareForEveryChild

Refugee Month - join us in calling for #CareForEveryChild

In this Refugee Month join with us in standing up for and supporting children seeking safety and ensure that every child is cared for and protected Read more

Published: 1st June, 2023

Updated: 8th June, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

ECPAT UK secures support from Propel funding collaboration to reach more young victims

ECPAT UK secures support from Propel funding collaboration to reach more young victims

ECPAT UK has secured a grant from the Greater London Authority through the Propel initiative to support the charity’s Youth Programme and provide high quality one to one and group mentoring to young victims of trafficking across London over the next two years. Read more

Published: 28th April, 2023

Updated: 11th June, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

Care for every child: Duties to care for children must apply equally to all children

Care for every child: Duties to care for children must apply equally to all children

Children's charities including NSPCC, Barnardo's, Action for Children, The Children's Society and National Children's Bureau coordinated by Children England and ECPAT UK condemn proposals set out in the Illegal Migration Bill to create a segregated system of care for unaccompanied children outside of local authority social care duties under our child welfare legislation in the Children Act 1989 Read more

Published: 8th March, 2023

Updated: 28th November, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

Over 100 charities call for action on children going missing from Home Office hotels, at risk of trafficking and exploitation

Over 100 charities call for action on children going missing from Home Office hotels, at risk of trafficking and exploitation

ECPAT UK with The Refugee Council has coordinated a letter with the support of over 100 charities calling on the Prime Minister to take action on children going missing from Home Office hotels at risk of trafficking and exploitation. The charities want an end to the practice, for all children to be looked after properly and for an urgent independent inquiry Read more

Published: 26th January, 2023

Updated: 11th June, 2023

Author: Patricia Durr

Independent Child Trafficking Guardian, Sima Modhvadia named Children's Champion 2022

Independent Child Trafficking Guardian, Sima Modhvadia named Children's Champion 2022

Sima Modhvadia, an Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) with Barnardo’s National Counter Trafficking Service, has been awarded ECPAT UK’s Children’s Champion Award for 2022. The award is made in recognition of Sima’s outstanding work with young victims and her exceptional nurturing and empowering approach. Read more

Published: 2nd December, 2022

Author: Patricia Durr

ECPAT UK response: report of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

ECPAT UK response: report of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

ECPAT UK responds to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration report of their inspection on the use of hotels to house unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Read more

Published: 21st October, 2022

Updated: 3rd February, 2023

Author: Laura Duran

Child victims of trafficking share their experiences and call for change as the UK government continues to attack modern slavery laws

Child victims of trafficking share their experiences and call for change as the UK government continues to attack modern slavery laws

Young victims of modern slavery have shared their experiences following identification of human trafficking through the UK immigration and social care systems in a full final report published today. Read more

Published: 19th October, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

ECPAT UK response: Home Office announcement on use of hotels for unaccompanied children

ECPAT UK response: Home Office announcement on use of hotels for unaccompanied children

ECPAT UK responds to a government announcement detailing plans for unaccompanied children to spend less time in the hotels where they are being unlawfully accommodated by the Home Office. Read more

Published: 2nd September, 2022

Updated: 3rd February, 2023

Author: Pandora Haydon

Unaccompanied children must be protected by the care system, not placed in hotels

Unaccompanied children must be protected by the care system, not placed in hotels

A response to ECPAT UK's Outside the Frame report coordinated in partnership with Children England and signed by over 70 organisations and experts across the sector, calling for children in the UK to be protected and cared for safely and without discrimination. Read more

Published: 14th August, 2022

Updated: 8th March, 2023

Author: Pandora Haydon

Joint letter to ‘The Times’ on the UK Online Safety Bill

Joint letter to ‘The Times’ on the UK Online Safety Bill

ECPAT UK has joined five other organisations in writing to The Times about the Online Safety Bill’s delay, and how the bill “would have placed robust requirements on tech companies to minimise the risk of harm to children.” Read more

Published: 22nd July, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

Child victims of trafficking share their views and experiences in new research

Child victims of trafficking share their views and experiences in new research

Young victims of modern slavery have shared their experiences following identification of human trafficking through the UK immigration and social care systems in a new interim report published today (ahead of final findings which will be published later this year). Read more

Published: 21st July, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

ECPAT UK response: Sir Mo Farah shares his experience of child trafficking and exploitation

ECPAT UK response: Sir Mo Farah shares his experience of child trafficking and exploitation

Today Sir Mo Farah shared his experience of child trafficking and exploitation. Here ECPAT UK provides information about child trafficking globally and in the UK, and highlights what we can learn from Sir Mo's story in order to better identify and protect child victims of trafficking and exploitation in future. Read more

Published: 12th July, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

45 unaccompanied children went missing from the hotels in which they were unlawfully housed by the Home Office over 10-month period

45 unaccompanied children went missing from the hotels in which they were unlawfully housed by the Home Office over 10-month period

New data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by ECPAT UK shows that 45 unaccompanied children in the UK went missing in between June 2021 and March 2022 after the Home Secretary placed them in Home Office led hotel accommodation. Read more

Published: 2nd July, 2022

Updated: 4th July, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

ECPAT UK signs joint letter to Home Office about Rwanda policy's impact on children

ECPAT UK signs joint letter to Home Office about Rwanda policy's impact on children

ECPAT UK has joined 16 other organisations and experts in writing to the Home Office about their policy of flying people seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda, and how the scheme is impacting children. Read more

Published: 14th June, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

Independent Review of Children’s Social Care launches its final report

Independent Review of Children’s Social Care launches its final report

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care final report makes 72 recommendations. ECPAT UK's response looks at where the review falls short, and where it puts forward welcome proposals for improving services & protecting children's existing rights to protection and care. Read more

Published: 25th May, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

SPACE TO THRIVE: we need more support for child victims of trafficking and exploitation to recover from trauma and abuse

SPACE TO THRIVE: we need more support for child victims of trafficking and exploitation to recover from trauma and abuse

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week 2022. Here, ECPAT UK reflects on the impact that trafficking and exploitation can have on the mental health of children and young people, and outlines how we can better support child victims to recover from trauma and abuse. Read more

Published: 17th May, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

Queen's speech announces significant reforms affecting children's rights

Queen's speech announces significant reforms affecting children's rights

The Queen’s Speech 2022 confirmed that in the new parliamentary session, there will be significant reform affecting the rights of children and young people. On the heels of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the government has announced more modern slavery legislation. It has affirmed too that the Online Safety Bill is carried over from the last parliamentary session. Also announced was a new Bill of Rights. Read more

Published: 11th May, 2022

Updated: 4th July, 2022

Author: Pandora Haydon

Load more Back to top

Latest

  • Judge rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in the case brought by Kent County Council on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme

    Judge rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in the case brought by Kent County Council on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme

    High Court rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in its operation of the National Transfer Scheme in a further judgement about the accommodation of unaccompanied children in Home Office hotels.

  • ECPAT UK BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 2023

    ECPAT UK BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 2023

    We are delighted to be taking part once again in the Big Give Christmas Challenge Week matched funding campaign. From 28th November to 5th December 2023 all donations are DOUBLED in support of our direct work with child victims of trafficking

  • Care For Every Child

    Care For Every Child

    Learn about our new #CareForEveryChild project offering support to children who have spent time in UK Home Office hotels outside of the care that they were entitled to and at risk.

  • King’s Speech announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims

    King’s Speech announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims

    The King’s Speech, which was held on 7th November 2023, announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims.

Most read

  • Child trafficking statistics

    Child trafficking statistics

    The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.

  • National Referral Mechanism

    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.

  • What is child trafficking?

  • The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

    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.

  • Volunteer

    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

    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.

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

    United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

    The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990, ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992.

  • About us

    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.

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

    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

  • Demand specialist support for trafficked children

    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).

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required
Email Format

Report immediate concerns about a child's welfare

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. You can find their contact details on the Directgov website or in the phone book.

You can also contact the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If your concern is urgent, please call the police in your area or 999.

ECPAT UK
Family Action
34 Wharf Road 
London N1 7GR

Tel: 020 7607 2136
Email: [email protected]

Charity number: 1104948
Company Ltd by Guarantee: 5061385

Copyright © ECPAT UK 2016

ECPAT UK fundraising regulator logo

  • Contact us
  • Job vacancies
  • Donate
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Safeguarding Policy & Procedures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Our Supporter Promise
  • Keep in touch
  • ECPAT International



Manage Cookie Preferences