RIGHTS-BRITAIN: Child Trafficking on the Rise

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Glen Munro

LONDON, Aug 20 2002 (IPS) - Stella was 15 when she fled Nigeria to escape members of a voodoo cult threatening to kill her. A family ‘friend’ brought her to London, only to tell her she was now expected to become a prostitute.

Stella was kept in a flat against her will for two weeks. She was given little to eat, and she was threatened with violence. But she managed to escape and called the social services to assist her. She was left severely traumatised, but she now goes to school.

Stella is among thousands to have fallen into the clutch of traffickers. Britain signed the International Labour Organisation Convention Against Child Slavery two years ago. But there is disturbing evidence of a rise in the number of children being trafficked into Britain for domestic and sexual slavery.

Debbie Modupe Ariyo, co-ordinator of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA) says there is a “worrying trend” in child trafficking. “We don’t have substantial figures,” she says. “All we have is the fact that more and more stories are being told to us about children being brought into the UK (United Kingdom) from Africa, especially Nigeria. A lot of our people are bringing their horrendous practices to the UK.”

The United Nations estimates that about 1.2 million children become victims of trafficking each year. Of these about 200,000 are believed to come from west and central Africa. About 10,000 are living in Britain, activists say.

“I can safely say that slavery as a result of trafficking is the fastest growing form of slavery in the world today,” says Beth Hertzseld from the group Anti-Slavery. Economic disparities, low levels of education, limited opportunities for education and work, pressure on children to provide for a family, and a growing demand for cheap and submissive labour all contribute to this, she says.

“The key factor is poverty,” says Hertzseld. “When people believe they cannot make a life for themselves in their home country then they are prime candidates for traffickers.”

Traffickers use a variety of means from kidnapping to promise of legitimate employment, activists say. The trafficker is often a relative or family friend working with sponsors abroad.

According to police reports children enter Britain through various means. Some come in as unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers. Others come as students or as tourists. An increasing number are brought in illegally on ferries and freight trains, the police say.

Once they begin work in Britain they are rarely paid, and face emotional, physical and mental abuse, says Ariyo. But given the close-knit nature of many African communities, there is a reluctance to inform the authorities and expose family members or friends, she says.

British legislation has not helped. It is not illegal to bring in children if they are compliant, as many become out of fear for their lives.

Traffickers can be convicted under the Sexual Offenders Act of 1956. But the victim has to be willing to testify, and prove that she was forced into prostitution and has not worked as a prostitute before. Most women victims are wary of the legal system and live in fear of traffickers. Attempts at prosecuting suspects have failed as a result.

But there is some sign of hope, says Emily Delap, labour adviser with Save the Children Fund. The government proposes to introduce a new offence of trafficking for sexual exploitation in the Immigration Bill expected to be introduced in Parliament next month. The bill provides for a maximum of 14 years imprisonment for this offence.

“Since child labour has emerged on the global agenda, people are listening more and their attitudes and responses have become more sophisticated,” says Delap.