FAQs on child trafficking

Update, 2020: Our updated FAQs on child trafficking is available here.

Child trafficking is a complex phenomenon. Here are answers to ten of the most commonly asked questions in our daily interactions with child protection professionals.

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Latest

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.
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.
ECPAT UK welcomes the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s annual report as Dame Sara Thornton stands down from the role

Last week, Dame Sara Thornton’s third and final annual report as the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner was laid before parliament. ECPAT UK welcomes the report and thanks the Commissioner and her office for all their work over the past three years, especially the focus on child victims and their rights to protection and care.
Harmful Nationality and Borders Act passes - April 29th 2022

Following a hard-fought battle to increase rights and protections in the legislation, the Nationality and Borders Act received Royal Assent this week. The Act will have a devastating impact for all trafficked children, and for migrant children who are at high risk of exploitation.

When Harm Remains: an update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

'When Harm Remains: an update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK' follows up on ECPAT UK’s and Missing People’s first study, 'Heading Back to Harm' (which discovered that an alarmingly high number of children go missing from care with many never being found), and our second study, 'Still in Harm’s Way', which confirmed the findings that trafficked and unaccompanied children are amongst those at greatest risk of going missing in the UK.
Child trafficking in the UK 2021: a snapshot

Our latest snapshot report on child trafficking has been produced jointly with the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton. Child trafficking remains a significant and growing problem in the UK and the report provides an overview including the latest data, policy developments, examples of promising practice and challenges faced by practitioners. It concludes with a series of 10 recommendations.
Child trafficking in the UK 2020: A snapshot

ECPAT UK's latest snapshot report on child trafficking in the UK provides an overview of the issues affecting children, including inadequate support provision and long term instability. The report highlights never seen before data on immigration outcomes for child victims, secured through Freedom of Information Act requests to the Home Office.
A review of what works in multi-agency decision making and the implications for child victims of trafficking

ECPAT UK and the Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner have produced a review into models of multi-agency decision making in the UK. A review of what works in multi-agency decision making and the implications for child victims of trafficking makes recommendations for best practice in multi-agency decision making for child victims of trafficking, including potential future devolved decision-making in the National Referral Mechanism.
Interact report: Cross-border cooperation to protect children in migration from trafficking and exploitation

As part of our Safeguarding Migrant Children Across Europe (AMINA) project, ECPAT UK and Missing Children Europe's new report 'Interact: Towards a more efficient cooperation across borders for the protection of children in migration from trafficking and exploitation' identifies gaps in child protections and makes recommendations to ensure children are safeguarded.
Real people, real lives: Ten years of advocacy for victims of slavery in the UK

This report from the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG), Real People, Real lives: Ten years of advocacy for victims of slavery in the UK, tells the story of how and why the ATMG was formed, and aims to illustrate the coalition as a model for good practice in holding governments around the world to account through ‘critical friendship’.
FAQs on child trafficking

Child trafficking is a complex phenomenon. We created our FAQs on child trafficking resource to answer some of the most commonly asked questions in our daily interactions with child protection professionals and members of the public.
Precarious journeys: Mapping vulnerabilities of victims of trafficking from Vietnam to Europe

New research by ECPAT UK, Anti-Slavery International and Pacific Links Foundation traces the journeys made by Vietnamese children and adults migrating irregularly from Vietnam to the UK via Europe. The report, Precarious Journeys: Mapping Vulnerabilities of Victims of Trafficking from Vietnam to Europe, finds that the governments of countries on key trafficking routes routinely fail to protect Vietnamese children from trafficking, leaving them vulnerable to continued exploitation and abuse.
Still in Harm's Way: An update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

Following our ground-breaking 2016 research, leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People have revisited the issue of trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care using 2017. Still in Harm's Way: An update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK finds that these children are still going missing at an alarmingly high rate.
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.

Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
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.
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.
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.
What is child trafficking?
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

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).
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.
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.
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.