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The only international law guaranteeing trafficked people protection
-- the Council of Europe's Convention on Action Against Trafficking
in Human Beings -- is a year old from 17 May. But it remains
unsigned by the UK Government.
Hundreds of women, children and men are trafficked into sexual exploitation
and forced labour in the UK each year, yet the UK still has no guaranteed
minimum standards of protection and support for all trafficked people.
As a result, their treatment by the authorities is uncertain and
may expose them to reprisals from traffickers, including retrafficking.
"Now is the time for the UK to commit to substantive protection
for all trafficked people by pledging to ratify the Convention as
part of the UK's action plan on trafficking. Further delay will
only add to trafficked people's suffering," Aidan McQuade
Director of Anti-Slavery International said.
Without guaranteeing protection for trafficked people, including
at least 30 days to stay in the UK to receive emergency medical
and psychosocial help, safe housing and legal advice as provided
by the Convention, the victims of this crime remain at risk.
Countries with established systems of guaranteed protection that
include permission to stay in the country to receive specialist
support (a reflection delay), such as the Netherlands and Italy,
prove not only do they help the trafficked person, but they also
increase prosecutions against traffickers.
Currently the only support that exists in the UK is available to
women who have been trafficked and prostituted in the country; access
is limited by narrow criteria. There is no guaranteed support or
protection for people trafficked into labour exploitation.
To date, 26 countries have signed the Convention.
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