Children easy targets for traffickers, says Caritas

Members of Catholic aid agency Caritas from around the world will urge the European Union to do more on child trafficking at a meeting in Paris on 16 October.

Human trafficking is an increasing phenomenon across the world. In 2005, up to 2.4 million people were being trafficked every year, with children among the most vulnerable.

Caritas members will urge the current French Presidency of the European Union to raise awareness among Europeans at the international symposium, "To fight trafficking in children: What to do in the European Union?".

Caritas Internationalis Advocacy Co-ordinator on Migration, Trafficking and Gender Martina Liebsch will be attending the meeting.

She said, "Children are considered easy targets by traffickers. Once taken to another country they may fall victim to sexual exploitation, child slavery or forced adoption."

The symposium will take place in Paris and will include contributions from representatives from clerical, political and civil society, including Caritas members and COATNET, the Christian anti-trafficking network.

The symposium has been organised by COATNET, Secours Catholique (Caritas France), and Caritas Europa.

It will include a photo exhibition on trafficking, to be inaugurated by French Justice Minister Rachida Dati, and the respective presidents of Caritas France and Caritas Europa, Francois Soulage and Fr Erny Gillen.

Caritas works around the world to combat trafficking which it condemns as a criminal act that violates basic human rights.