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

Nationality and Borders Bill: Second Reading Briefing

The government's Nationality and Borders Bill includes measures that will impact all child victims of trafficking in the UK as well as all children and young people subject to immigration control. The bill reforms modern slavery legislation; extensively changing the system for identifying, protecting and supporting victims of trafficking. In this briefing, we analyse measures in the bill and set out our concerns about how they will affect all at risk children and child victims of trafficking.
Statement on the Nationality and Borders Bill

The government’s new nationality and borders bill will significantly impact children’s rights to protection and leave them at risk of dangerous journeys, trafficking and criminalisation. The legislation does not just contain measures on immigration which fail to protect those in need of safety but also makes extensive changes to the identification, protection and support of victims of trafficking and modern slavery, which is not an immigration matter.
Northern Ireland bill to provide greater protections to child victims of sexual exploitation online

Today, Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly Member Naomi Long has introduced a new bill aiming to improve services for victims of trafficking and exploitation and enhance public safety by updating laws on child sexual offences. ECPAT UK welcomes The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill, which contains a number of provisions to strengthen the response to child sexual exploitation.
Webinars and events

Watch our free webinars and events on child trafficking and the issues facing survivors in the UK.

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 in the UK 2018: A snapshot

ECPAT UK's new snapshot report provides an overview of the state of modern slavery affecting children in the UK, drawing on our experience of working with young people who have been exploited, and compiling the latest statistics and recent policy developments on this important issue.
Time to transform: Frontline professionals' views on the National Referral Mechanism

Time to transform shows the results of ECPAT UK's survey into frontline professionals’ attitudes towards the National Referral Mechanism, specifically in regard to children’s cases.

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.
Child trafficking statistics

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