Immigration Solicitors

Recent figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) show there has been a dramatic rise in the number of children being trafficked within the UK.

BBC News reports that the number of people trafficked for work exploitation or sexual exploitation has risen to an annual level of more than 2,700 – and it is thought this could be the “tip of the iceberg”. The figures include people who have come to Britain after being groomed online thinking they would be arriving in the UK to take up paid employment.

Victims come mainly from Romania and Poland, as well as within the UK itself.

There are fears that more children are becoming targets for people traffickers, including trafficking gangs in the UK who move children from one area to another as labour slaves or to work in the sex trade.

Between 2012 and 2103, the number of cases reported rose by 22% – and the NCA says the rise is partly due to better reporting of suspected cases of people trafficking.

In the 2,744 cases reported between 2012 and 21013, a total of 602 were children. The number of children trafficked for sexual exploitation also rose from 38 the previous year to 128 between 2012 and 2103.

NCA investigators said the cases of people trafficking included people trafficked to work in the sex trade, forced labour or slave labour, and forced into committing crimes such as benefit fraud. More than half of those trafficked from Romania had ended up working in the sex trade in the UK.

Women were often found to have come to Britain with men whom they considered to be their boyfriends – only to be forced into working as prostitutes as soon as they arrived. Victims had been recruited via online dating sites and adverts offering employment.

The NCA’s report says that traffickers may also “mark” their victims out with tattoos, often taking the form of a number.

Head of the NCA’s human trafficking team Liam Vernon said:
“Put very simply, you brand cattle – and that's how traffickers view people: as a commodity to buy and sell.

“Human trafficking for the purposes of exploitation is an insidious and complex crime – and much of the exploitation is hidden from view.

“There is limited information available to suggest that traffickers mark potential victims with tattoos, with various symbols signifying ownership or to show that a victim is over 18.

“Information also suggests that victims may be marked with numbers, but the meaning of these numbers is not known.

“Various sources indicate that tattoos are used globally to mark victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation by traffickers and pimps – but the extent to which this is used in the UK is not known.”

In the UK, the Modern Slavery Bill is currently going through Parliament and is expected to become law in early 2015. It will increase the maximum prison sentence for exploitation to life imprisonment – and those who commit crimes while under the control of a slave master or trafficking gang may be exempted from prosecution, as well as being entitled to compensation from those who control them.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors

Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors can advise migrants to the UK on issues such as illegal entry to the UK, asylum and asylum appeals, the Fast-track Detention process and right to work in the UK.

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors and also advises on:

• British citizenship
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For expert legal advice on illegal entry to the UK and asylum and asylum appeals, contact Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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