Our approach

We take a rights-based approach, centring every child’s fundamental human right to be protected from trafficking and exploitation as outlined in national legislation and the international legal framework. Our work is child-centred and guided by the meaningful and ethical participation of the young people we support.

Latest

Migration, child trafficking and your rights in the UK

This page explores what is child trafficking and exploitation, what are the risks to Vietnamese children in migration and what are your rights in the UK.
ECPAT UK welcomes the issues included by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in its upcoming inspection of the UK

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has included the key concerns raised by ECPAT UK in its List of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) of the combined sixth and seventh reports of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – part of the Committee’s examination of how well the UK is meeting its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights for survivors of child trafficking

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that the UK Government failed to protect victims of child trafficking and breached two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, in a landmark case. The Court ordered the UK Government to pay €90,000 EUR (£78,590 GBP) in compensation to two Vietnamese young people involved who had been convicted of crimes as children despite signs they had been trafficked.
A-Z of fundraising ideas

Whatever you interest, turn your hobby into a hustle and design your own unique fundraiser to raise money and awareness for our work! Check out our fundraising A-Z will for inspiration to create your own activity to support our work.

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.
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.
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

Thirty years ago, a campaign to end child sexual exploitation was launched in Thailand by a small group of concerned individuals. Thirty years later, the ECPAT campaign has evolved into a global network of dedicated civil society organisations.
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.
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.
Child trafficking statistics
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.
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.
ECPAT UK training

ECPAT UK offers a comprehensive training programme, in line with National Occupational Standards, delivering courses for more than 20 years to help improve responses to child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation.