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Fears of increased trafficking during OlympicsIt is feared that the risk of human trafficking will increase leading up to and during the Olympics this year. The risk is not just in London but in other parts of the country where events are to be held. This article explains that the West Midland Police are taking steps to safeguard the area from trafficking gangs. EU Parliamentarians Against Human Trafficking meet againThe second meeting of the Parliamentarians Against Human Trafficking (PAHT) was held in The Hague on 26th January, attended by parliamentarians and NGOs from across Europe.The meeting began with a call for independent National Rapporteurs across the EU to help combat trafficking. Crimestoppers new campaign against human traffickingCrimestoppers has announced a new campaign to combat human trafficking. The charity is working in partnership with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the City of London Police (CoLP), the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Home Office. Funding cuts reduce awareness of child exploitationThe latest Barnardo's report 'Cutting Them Free' reveals that awareness raising of sexual exploitation has reduced by 30% due to funding cuts. In some areas this had led to a downgrading of the issue. The report also says that he number of sexually exploited children Barnardo’s works with has grown by 8.4%. One in six of children helped by the charity have been trafficked and moved between towns and cities, rising to one in two in some areas. Child trafficking victims bounced back to France within hours of arrival in UKUnaccompanied children arriving in UK Channel ports in lorries and containers have been bounced back to France, under a secret "gentleman's agreement" which had been in place for several years. Many of the children were believed to be victims of human trafficking or escaping persecution and war zones. The practice was halted immediately by the UK Border Agency after the Children's Commissioner Maggie Atkinson discovered the existence of the "gentleman's agreement" with France during her investigation in November. Among the children were seven Vietnamese children who had been trafficked into Britain to work as "gardeners" in cannabis factories. They were sent back to France. Kent social services said they knew nothing about these children. 'The Whistleblower' released on DVDThe film of 'The Whistleblower' has been released on DVD in the UK. It is a fictionalised dramatisation about Kathyrn Bolkovac who signed up as a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia, working for a large contractor to the US government. When she investigated the local trafficking of young girls into prostitution, she discovered that those she was working alongside were suspects. Three trafficking cases a week in Devon and CornwallCases of teenage girls and boys falling victim to sex exploitation and trafficking are being reported to Devon and Cornwall Police at the rate of three a week. Conflict and economic downturn cause global increase in child labourAn annual study by risk analysis firm Maplecroft has revealed that 76 countries now pose ‘extreme’ child labour complicity risks for companies operating worldwide, due to worsening global security and the economic downturn. This constitutes an increase of more than 10% from last year’s total of 68 ‘extreme risk’ countries. Obama declares human trafficking prevention monthPresident Obama is declaring January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. |
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