PRESS RELEASE

Social policy charity CARE today welcomes the long awaited publication of the Government’s Human Trafficking Strategy. The Strategy focuses on improved care for victims, preventive work abroad, stronger border control and tougher law enforcement action.

Responding to the Strategy, Dan Boucher, Director of Parliamentary Affairs, said:

‘We are pleased that the Strategy highlights the importance of tackling demand. It is impossible to understate the importance of addressing this challenge. If there was no demand there would be no trafficking and thus more emphasis and resources should be placed on cutting off demand at source. Some progress has been made here but there is huge scope for improvement. The latest statistics show that demand for paid sexual services increased dramatically in the early 2000s, turning the UK into a destination country for traffickers.1 Our own laws must reflect the Government’s commitment to ‘make human trafficking a priority’ as written in the Coalition Agreement and strict policies on demand must be reflected through robust legislation.’

Lydia Bowden, CARE’s Human Trafficking Policy Officer continued, ‘We very much hope that the publication of the long-awaited Human Trafficking Strategy will help Britain concentrate on the reality of trafficking in the UK. Although we are glad that the Strategy makes reference to victim care, we are disappointed that only two out of twenty four pages address the need for improved care and protection of victims. That we have not been getting it right in the recent past is well illustrated not least by the extraordinary fact that, according to the Government’s own figures, from 2007 to 2010, over 300 rescued trafficked children in local authority care were lost.2 This appalling number is indicative of the enormous burden of responsibility Britain has in taking steps to combat human trafficking.’

CARE very much looks forward to working with the Coalition Government and hopes that it will be increasingly determined to rise to this challenge.

Notes:

1. H Ward et al ‘Who pays for sex’ An analysis of the increasing prevalence if female commercial sex contacts among men in Britain Sexually Transmitted Infections 2005; 81: 467-471
2. CEOP 2010 Strategic Threat Assessment Child Trafficking in the UK
3. To read the complete text, please visit the Home Office website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/human-trafficking-strategy?view=Binary