CARE says Government should opt-in to EU human trafficking directive

The Directive was adopted last December by the European Parliament, including all British Conservative and Lib Dem MEPs present, but the British Government has held off from opting in despite stating last May in the Coalition Agreement that tackling human trafficking would be a “priority”.

It has previously asserted that British law already covers the measures laid down in the Directive although it has stated that it would review its position once the Directive completed its passage through the European institutions.

In the report, the Christian advocacy group said there were “significant ongoing areas of non-compliance” with the EU Directive.

It said that an important new provision added to the Directive in relation to support for child trafficking victims had left the UK “significantly less compliant than previously”.

Article 14 of the Directive states that all trafficked children must be provided with assistance and support towards their physical and psycho-social recovery.

The report expresses concern at the “disturbingly large” numbers of trafficked children who are lost each year – 183 out of the 330 children identified as trafficked in 2007 went missing.

“The Directive would provide a means of confronting this problem more effectively,” the report states.

CARE voices concern over the lack of representation for trafficked children in the UK. While the Directive states that a guardian should be appointed to children whose parents are not in the position to represent them, there is no such provision for trafficked children under current British law.

“Current social work provisions often fall short of the care that is needed,” the group argues.

The report goes on to urge that the definition of trafficking in British legislation be broadened to include forced begging, included in Article 2 of the Directive.

“As trafficking for forced begging is an issue in the UK – particularly the trafficking of Roma people – it is imperative that legislation recognises this aspect of exploitation,” says the report.

CARE expressed its support for the obligation that the Directive puts national governments under to appoint an independent rapporteur to assess trafficking within their borders and the effectiveness of anti-trafficking measures.

It argues that the Government’s Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Trafficking falls short of the mark because it is not independent and as yet, does not produce any reports on the UK’s trafficking record.

It states: “Britain should be at the cutting edge of addressing trafficking and protecting the victims of trafficking, not falling behind the rest of the international community.”

CARE said there was “clear need” for Britain to opt-in to the Directive, one of only two EU member states not to have done so already.

Nola Leach, Chief Executive of CARE, said: “We very much hope that when the British government is given the opportunity to opt-in this month it seizes this with both hands.

“Britain, which led the way in tackling slavery in the 19th century, should not drag its feet in the 21st.”