Make a lasting difference with a regular gift

ECPAT UK's youth group has made such a big difference to my life and my future. At the group, they help me deal with all the difficulties I have. ECPAT UK even found me a therapist to talk through my struggles. I'm so grateful to be able to develop my skills, confidence and independence through the weekly sessions. Without ECPAT UK, I would not be who I am today.

Hanh*, 15 years old

Hanh was trafficked from Vietnam to the UK where she was forced into sexual exploitation. When she escaped and found a police station, she thought her ordeal was over. But it was the beginning of a new struggle - telling her story to police officers, social workers and foster carers, being disbelieved and unable to access basic counselling.

Hanh was traumatised, but with the support of ECPAT UK's youth programme, she is now recovering from her experiences and rebuilding her life.

Children and young people who have been trafficked have complex needs and require consistent, long-term support.

Help us provide long-term support to young people like Hanh by setting up a monthly gift

Your regular gift would mean we could continue to support many others like Hanh until they are in a position to access their rights, recover from their experiences and move on with their lives.

Set up a regular gift today

Thank you for standing with trafficked children and young people.

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.

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.
Students’ relay around the world raises money for ECPAT UK

Members of AIESEC, a not-for-profit organisation run by students and recent graduates, have completed an around the world relay race to raise money for ECPAT UK - running a staggering total of 276.92km over 31 hours, 5 minutes and 15 seconds.
New government strategy to tackle child sexual abuse includes welcome plan to protect children abroad

The government has released its new strategy to tackle child sexual abuse. We welcome the government’s commitment to making sure all children, within and outside of the UK, are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation by UK nationals.
Government publishes its response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation

The government has today published its response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation which is expected to be followed by an Online Harms Bill in early 2020. ECPAT UK welcomes this landmark proposal to keep children safe online. ECPAT UK welcomes the cross-party commitment to regulation of tech companies, recognition that this is a global problem requiring close collaboration with international partners and the proposed legal duty of care on tech companies to keep users safe.
Education Secretary acted unlawfully in removing legal protections for children during the pandemic, Court of Appeal rules

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Secretary of State for Education unlawfully removed safeguards for children in care during the Coronavirus pandemic. Led by the charity Article 39, ECPAT UK and over 60 other child rights organisations publicly campaigned against the changes, introduced overnight under Statutory Instrument 445 without public consultation or parliamentary debate.
UK child sex offender among “most prolific” ever investigated and brought to justice for online abuse

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has successfully brought one of the most prolific child sexual abuse offenders to justice for crimes committed online against children in the UK and abroad, highlighting the central role of evidence from social media companies and joining a growing number of children’s charities, child rights advocates and public officials calling for Facebook to urgently halt plans to implement end-to-end encryption which leaves children at significant risk.
The impact of Covid-19 on victims of trafficking, now and beyond

As lockdown measures begin to ease, many of us across the country are eagerly waiting a return to normality. But for children and young people affected by trafficking, the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic has created a new set of risks and obstacles - deepening inequalities, worsening instability and creating a perfect storm for children to be re-trafficked or harmed.
5th anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act: 42 MPs urge Home Secretary to act on promises made to children

As the Covid-19 crisis exposes the importance of protecting vulnerable groups, over 42 MPs have written to the Home Secretary demanding that the government meet its promises made to child victims 5 years ago in the Modern Slavery Act. Led by Alex Norris MP, MPs from all the political parties expressed that they are ‘deeply concerned’ that the provisions in the Act had still not been implemented.
Help trafficked young people through the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic

The uncertainty and isolation we're experiencing due to coronavirus is an everyday experience for the young people we support. ECPAT UK’s youth groups provide a stable community for many who have no support network in the UK. We’re striving to provide this same stability to those who have suffered the trauma of trafficking and remain vulnerable to the risk of further harm, particularly as migrants who may have difficulty accessing healthcare. Please donate to help us continue our vital support.
Supreme Court finds failings in response to child victim of trafficking

Today, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of MS (Pakistan) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department – a decision which will impact trafficked children’s ability to lead stable lives in the long term. The Court’s decision includes a number of important considerations submitted by ECPAT UK, an intervening party in the appeal.

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.