Trust for London calls on UK Government to lead the world in combating people trafficking
PRESS RELEASE: 15 October 2010
Trust for London today marked the UK's first Anti-Slavery Day by calling on the government to assume a world leadership role in the fight against people trafficking and forced labour.
Trust for London, which is the largest charitable funder of anti-poverty projects in the capital, made the call as it published a major new report, A Chance to be Free - Tackling Modern Day Slavery. The report highlights some of the recent legislative changes in the UK which should make it harder for traffickers to flourish.
These include the Policing and Crime Act of 2009, which outlaws the purchase of sex from anyone subject to exploitation, and the new criminal offence of servitude and forced labour, which also reached the statute book last year.
Bharat Mehta, Trust for London's Chief Executive, commented: "The campaign against slavery we have helped fund over the past few years has contributed to these and other significant changes in policy and practice.
However, the shameful fact remains that forms of slavery, especially domestic servitude and forced labour, are a reality in modern Britain.
"In addition, robust analysis by a group of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) we also fund has exposed the systematic weaknesses in the implementation of these policies. This means that victims of slavery are often treated instead as immigration criminals.
"The public sector funding cuts set to be announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review next week look certain to make a bad situation worse. Trafficking victims already suffer from woefully inadequate services. We believe these people - some of the most marginalised and vulnerable in our society - should therefore be protected from the forthcoming budget cuts.
"In sum, we think that the UK government's current policy on slavery and trafficking is complacent and wrong. It should instead adopt a new, much more victim-centred approach. We therefore call on ministers to halt their opposition to the new EU Directive on Human Trafficking, since this widens the definition of the crime, strengthens legal redress and ensures consistent, Europe-wide action on what is an inherently cross-border issue.
"Were they to sign the Directive, it would send an unmistakable signal to the rest of the international community that the UK is serious about the problem - thereby giving the government the opportunity to exercise a world leadership role in the fight against all aspects of trafficking and slavery."
Abigail Stepnitz, Poppy Project Coordinator for Eaves, said: "While we applaud the UK for recent strides in the fight against trafficking and exploitation and acknowledge significant efforts to prevent trafficking, improve the quality of life for victims of this horrendous human rights violation, and prosecute offenders, there is still much more to be done. We call on the government to continue the essential work started by the previous administration to ensure that people trapped in situations of modern day slavery are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve and given the opportunity to recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives."
Media enquiries: Iain Taylor
Taylor Communications
01732 740573 or 07979 914217
Notes for Editors:
Trust for London is the largest funder of inequality and anti-poverty projects in the capital. An independent charity, the Trust makes grants totalling over £6 million per year, supporting around 400 voluntary and community organisations in London at any one time. It was set up in 1891 and was formerly known as City Parochial Foundation.
Tackling Modern Day Slavery was a three year special initiative of the Trust, which has now concluded. The Trust invested a total of £600,000 in the project, which included grants to Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK, Eaves, Kalayaan and Women & Girls Network. Find out more about the intitiative.