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As a controversial new drama about human trafficking is broadcast
tonight (Sex Traffic, 14 October, Channel 4, 9.00pm) a coalition
of NGOs -- UNICEF UK, Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International
-- are today calling on the UK Government to provide adequate protection
and assistance for the victims of this vicious international trade
and to lobby to ensure that the new European Convention on Trafficking
guarantees adequate protection to women and girls across Europe.
Trafficking for sexual exploitation into the UK has increased over
the last few years. Home Office research estimated that up to 1,420
women were trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation in 2000
1 and more recent research has found that
trafficked women, from countries including Moldova, Romania, Albania,
Thailand and Nigeria have been forced to work as prostitutes in
every London borough 2. According to ECPAT
UK research this year, social services in 32 out of 33 London Boroughs
are currently concerned over trafficked children within their care
3.
The transmission of Sex Traffic is timely in that it coincides
with negotiations on the European Convention Against Trafficking,
now reaching a critical stage in Strasbourg. This Convention provides
an opportunity to establish minimum binding standards for the protection
and support of trafficked people. UNICEF UK, Amnesty International
and Anti-Slavery International are particularly concerned about
three key provisions they wish to see inserted into the Convention
in order to ensure full protection and assistance for trafficking
victims in the UK and across the EU:
- medical, educational and vocational assistance for all
victims of trafficking that is not made conditional on victims
testifying against traffickers and includes
- a specified 'reflection period' of at least three months, in
which victims can consider whether to testify and receive appropriate
care and counselling
- residence permits for victims that may stand to be in danger
if they return to their country.
David Bull, Executive Director of UNICEF UK said:
"Trafficked women and children are abused, raped and exploited
right here in the UK, yet there is only one safe house caring and
assisting women and still no safe house for protection for children.
Victims need time to recover from the trauma and have a right to
remain in a place of safety. A comprehensive Council of Europe Convention
against Trafficking would fill the current vacuum obligating states,
including the UK, to meet minimum binding standards for the protection
and support of trafficked people.
"All the European states have a joint responsibility to
effectively prevent trafficking, prosecute the traffickers and protect
and respect the rights of the victims. Yet currently in the UK,
victims are still not receiving adequate help or support, are often
treated as criminals rather than victims of crime and may be deported
to face reprisals of re-trafficking."
Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Stephen Bowen said:
"The trafficking industry brutalises women and girls and
destroys lives all over Europe on a daily basis. Victims of trafficking
have had all of their very basic human rights violated - we must
turn the system around so that they are recognised as the victims
and not the perpetrators of crime.
"Fine words about protecting women and girls are all very
well in treaty pre-ambles, but they must be backed up by clear,
enforceable provisions. The new European Convention is an opportunity
to make protection for women and girls obligatory, and to stop the
practice of sending them back to places where they face great danger."
Mary Cunneen, Director of Anti-Slavery International, said:
"Most European governments have passed laws to prohibit
trafficking, but this is not sufficient. These laws must be accompanied
by measures to protect and support trafficked people, including
those trafficked for labour as well as sexual exploitation. However,
many European countries do not offer reflection periods or adequate
services to trafficked people and make access to assistance conditional
on their willingness or ability to co-operate in a prosecution.
The Council of Europe Convention offers the opportunity to remedy
this protection deficit and Anti-Slavery International urges all
European countries, including the UK, to offer unequivocal support
for language in the Convention to do so."
Channel 4's Sex Traffic is transmitted at 9.00pm tonight,
14 October and 21 October 2004.
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