Charities Say Government Fails Trafficking Victims

Charities say government fails trafficking victims
By Dominic Casciani BBC News
Many trafficking victims are forced into prostitution.

Charities have accused the government of failing in their first test to help victims of trafficking.

They have criticised the decision not to adopt an EU directive which they say will give victims better protection and lead to more trafficker prosecutions.

The Home Office says the UK already has ample measures to help victims.

The European directive on preventing and combating trafficking is expected to be approved in the autumn. Denmark and the UK are not signing up to it.

But charities, including Anti-Slavery International, said the trafficking of people throughout Europe demanded a cross-border solution and that the UK should step into line with other EU states.

Supporters of the proposed directive say it is better than the existing European convention which sets out how best to deal with the criminals and to protect the victims.

It aims to establish common standards across member states for the prosecution of traffickers - but it also proposes greater protections for victims who have been involved in crime in the country they are held in.

"Human Trafficking is a brutal form of organised crime and combating it is a key priory of the new government”

This could mean that some people who are trafficked into criminal enterprises in the UK, such as the sex trade or cannabis farming, could not be charged over false immigration papers forced on them by the gang responsible for their move.

Klara Skrivankova, of Anti-Slavery International, said: "Despite significant positive steps, the Government cannot become complacent and say that the UK is already doing enough.

"Without international cooperation the government will lose the battle with the traffickers. By choosing not to opt in to the directive the Government is failing in its efforts to combat this transnational crime."



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