What is the aim of this toolkit
Trafficking in people involves a collection of crimes, spanning a
variety of countries, and involving an increasing number of victims
– resulting in considerable suffering for those trafficked. It
includes the exploitation of women, children and men through force,
coercion and threat and the use of deception and human rights abuses
such as debt bondage, deprivation of liberty and lack of control
over one’s labour. Exploitation occurs through prostitution and
other types of sexual exploitation, and through other forms of
labour exploitation. It includes the movement of people across
borders and also to movement and exploitation within borders.
Unfortunately, there is little general awareness of its nature, its
extent and what actions should be taken to combat it.
A key objective of this toolkit is to increase awareness amongst
the agencies responsible for tackling these crimes and amongst the
Crime and Disorder Partnerships that are setting the local
priorities for crime reduction. The primary aim of the toolkit is to
help those who deal with illegal immigrants and trafficking victims
to distinguish victims in genuine need and to deal with them
appropriately. It also seems important, however, to suggest ways in
which enforcement officers may be helped to identify traffickers,
obtain better evidence and bring successful prosecutions against the
traffickers. Similarly it aims to help those with child protection
responsibilities to understand the particular requirements of
trafficked children. Throughout the toolkit, efforts are made to
highlight the considerations and issues that need to be dealt with,
and to provide appropriate references to material and organisations
which may help.
The Government has made clear that it views trafficking in human
beings as a totally unacceptable form of organised crime. In
negotiating and signing the UN Protocol on the Prevention and
Suppression of Trafficking, the UK has supported the primary
international legal instrument defining the crime and setting out
the response to it. The UN Protocol is the basis of the UK action to
combat trafficking, and has been adopted as the framework for EU
action on trafficking through the subsequent EU Framework Decision
on Trafficking, adopted last year.
In the White Paper 'Secure Borders, Safe Haven' (cm 5387) published
last year, the Government set out a four point strategy for tackling
trafficking, comprising:
-
legislation - new criminal offences of trafficking were
included in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002,
and in the forthcoming Sex Offences Bill;
-
enforcement - support for the work of the Reflex taskforce
tackling the organised criminals who are behind trafficking;
-
victim support - making provision for the victims of
trafficking to receive support so that they can escape their
circumstances and recognising that they may be able to help law
enforcement disrupt and prosecute organised criminals; and
-
international co-operation - working with international
partners to tackle trafficking at source and ensure effective
action against this form of transnational organised crime.
This toolkit complements that strategy by focusing on practical
measures to address the scale of trafficking in the UK, the needs of
victims and how to ensure effective multi-agency co-operation at
local level. The toolkit is not a policy paper, and is based upon
existing statements of Government policy on trafficking. Nor is it a
guide to investigating trafficking, and as a public document does
not contain sensitive material which could be of use to the
traffickers themselves. Finally, it cannot aim to be a definitive
guide, so references are included to other key literature. It is
hoped that this toolkit will evolve as more evidence of good
practice emerges and as the needs of those using it develop.
|
