A French parliamentary commission on modern slavery has found the country's law and procedures inadequate to deal with human trafficking and other forms of slavery in France.

With regard to trafficking, its December 2001 report calls for all victims of this modern-day slave trade to be given three months to recover from their ordeal before having to decide whether to co-operate with police or be repatriated. Although an improvement on a new European Commission proposal which suggests only 30 days respite, Anti-Slavery is calling on governments not to link residency with victims' willingness to testify to police or in court.

Within days of the report's publication, France's Minister of Justice, Marylise Lebranchu, announced that a Bill was being prepared to tackle modern slavery, including human trafficking.

In Europe, both official and non-governmental bodies believe trafficking is getting worse. A recent report by Anti-Slavery's partner organisation, ECPAT UK and a report commissioned in 2000 by the British Home Office, provide conclusive evidence that hundreds of women and children are being trafficked into Britain each year.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, in Britain there is no legislation prohibiting human trafficking and, as a result, there is no punishment specific to this crime.
Anti-Slavery is urging the British Government to make it a priority to introduce legislation making human trafficking for sexual and other forms of exploitation a criminal offence.