About us

Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (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.

Our work

Policy, advocacy and campaigns

We lobby governments to:

improve legislation, policy and practice to protect children
prevent child trafficking
implement tougher action against those who abuse children.

Youth work

We directly support children who have been trafficked and provide expertise in children's cases.

Training

We deliver rights-based, practical training to professionals working with children.

Research

We publish cutting-edge research on child trafficking and exploitation, informed by our direct work with trafficked children and the professionals who support them.

Awareness raising

We work in partnership with various organisations to build a common understanding and to enhance expertise on protecting children from commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

Policy development and legal reform

We work with children's rights organisations, anti-trafficking NGOs, child protection agencies, communities and governments to identify strategies to combat child trafficking and the exploitation of children in tourism.

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).

ECPAT International

Established in 1994, ECPAT UK is the national member of ECPAT International, a global network of children's rights organisations coordinating research, advocacy and action to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Our history

Twenty five years ago, the idea of a campaign to ‘End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism’ was launched in Thailand by a small group of concerned individuals. Twenty-five years later, this campaign, ECPAT, has evolved into a global network of civil society organisations dedicated to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
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.

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.