Tuesday 5th May

ECPAT UK welcomes the publication of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) Fourth Evaluation Round report on the United Kingdom, which delivers urgent and detailed child‑focused recommendations for the United Kingdom. GRETA’s report draws significantly on ECPAT UK’s research, reflecting our long‑standing evidence of systemic failures in the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation.

The report confirms what ECPAT UK has consistently highlighted, children who have been trafficked continue to be failed by policies and practices that do not reflect their rights, their needs or the realities of their exploitation. GRETA calls for immediate action to strengthen prevention, improve identification and ensure that all child victims receive specialist protection and support.

GRETA urges the UK authorities to take additional measures to prevent the trafficking of children and young people by improving guidance and training for professionals so that child victims are identified early and accurately. It stresses the need for specialised assistance for all child victims, including those transitioning to adulthood, and the urgent need to make the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship scheme fully operational across England and Wales. They highlight the chronic underfunding of local authorities and support providers, and improvements to the support provided to looked‑after children as they transition to adulthood by urging the Government to increase resources so that statutory duties can be met.

GRETA also calls for the removal of the “reasonable person” test in the statutory defence under Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act, recognising that coercion and other means are irrelevant when a child is exploited. 

The report recommendations emphasise the issues faced by child victims in migration, particularly those who arrive unaccompanied or separated from their families by urging the establishment of a legal guardianship system them in England and Wales. In addition, GRETA calls on the UK to provide secure, appropriate accommodation for trafficked children who are asylum seekers with strengthened measures to prevent them from going missing. The report also call on the Government to ensure that age assessments are conducted promptly and in line with international standards, including the Council of Europe’s 2022 guidelines. They also recommend that child victims be issued residence permits in line with their best interests. 

ECPAT UK particularly welcomes the recommendation by GRETA for the UK to develop comprehensive child‑specific prevention policies covering education, awareness‑raising and measures to prevent children from going missing. The report cites our continued call to implement a comprehensive UK wide strategy on child exploitation, and it urges the need for increased funding and capacity for local authorities to play an effective role in preventing child trafficking before harm occurs.

Patricia Durr, CEO of ECPAT UK, said: “GRETA’s findings provide a stark and authoritative confirmation of the concerns ECPAT UK has raised for many years. The recommendations emphasise that children’s rights must be at the centre of the UK’s response to human trafficking. Children who have been trafficked need safety, stability, specialist support and trusted adults, yet too many face disbelief, unsafe accommodation and immigration‑focused decision‑making. GRETA’s report offers the UK a blueprint for change that must now be implemented.”

The extensive citation of ECPAT UK’s research underscores the importance of independent scrutiny and the need for the Government to engage meaningfully with expert organisations. We urge the UK Government to commit to implementing all recommendations in full, to restore a child‑centred, rights‑based approach to trafficking and exploitation, and to ensure that safeguarding drives decision‑making for all children.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

Fourth Evaluation Round Report of the United Kingdom can be found here.