Useful tools

These tools, produced by ECPAT UK and partner organisations, are designed to help child victims of trafficking, unaccompanied children seeking asylum and their representatives to understand children's rights and some of the wider issues they are facing.

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. Read more

Migration, trafficking and your rights in the UK

This page explores what is trafficking and exploitation, what are the risks to Vietnamese adults in migration and what are your rights in the UK. Read more

Practical guidance on preventing and responding to trafficking and disappearances of children in migration

As part of our Safeguarding Migrant Children Across Europe (AMINA) project, ECPAT UK and partner Missing Children Europe have produced a handbook for professionals in Europe on best practice for cooperating across borders to protect unaccompanied and separated children from trafficking and exploitation. Read more

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. Read more

Creating a child trafficking and modern slavery policy

As part of our Partnership Against Child Trafficking (PACT) project, ECPAT UK has produced a guide to assist local authorities to create or update their child trafficking and modern slavery policy. Read more

Films for practitioners

Watch ECPAT UK's short films designed to raise awareness among professional about the issues facing child victims of trafficking and unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Read more

Tools for practitioners

ECPAT UK's free 'interviewing trafficked children' webinar is delivered by Kalvir Kaur, a qualified solicitor and leading expert advocating for refugee children and victims of trafficking. Read more

Child friendly leaflets

View ECPAT UK's leaflets aiming to raise awareness and increase professionals' understand of child trafficking and exploitation, and inform vulnerable children about their rights. Read more

Child friendly films

View ECPAT UK's child friendly film aiming to raise awareness about child trafficking and exploitation, and inform vulnerable children about their rights. Read more

Latest

Take part in the 5k May challenge!

This month we're taking part in #5kMay! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the smallest things can make the biggest impact. That’s why we’re calling on you to take part in a 5k during May and donate £5 to us! We're a small charity achieving big things, and every £1 raised makes a difference.
Government immigration reforms could set back progress in support for child victims of trafficking

The Home Office has published their ‘New Plan for Immigration’ which includes a significant number of proposals to reform modern slavery legislation which will affect survivors of child exploitation. Wider measures relating to asylum policy will also be detrimental to survivors who also apply for asylum, a procedure which is already very challenging for many child victims to navigate.
Solihull lawyer Maria Demosthenous named Children's Champion 2020

Maria Demosthenous, a senior child care solicitor with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, has been awarded ECPAT UK’s Children’s Champion Award for 2020. The award is made in recognition of Maria’s outstanding commitment to child victims of trafficking in her local authority over the last 13 years.
New resources: Migration, trafficking and your rights in the UK criminal justice system

ECPAT UK has today released new resources informing Vietnamese migrants in the UK about their rights in the UK criminal justice system. Produced in partnership with World Vision Vietnam (WVV) for its Home Office-funded Tackling Modern Slavery project, the resources comprise a child friendly film and digital information resource, and a film and information resource for adults.

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.
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
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.