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  • Campaigns
  1. What we do
  2. Campaigns and petitions

Campaigns

Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Last October, an incredible 120,535 supporters called for specialist support for all trafficked children. However, the fight is not finished. Make sure your voice is heard by contacting the Home Secretary asking him to provide guardianship for all trafficked, separated and unaccompanied children Read more

Published: 27th November, 2018

Updated: 20th December, 2019

Author: Anonymised User

Demand specialist support for trafficked children

Demand specialist support for trafficked children

In 2018 we worked with Care2 to call on the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, to overhaul the current system of identification and support for victims of trafficking – the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Read more

Published: 15th November, 2017

Updated: 20th December, 2019

Author: Anonymised User

Stop the press revealing identities of Calais children

Stop the press revealing identities of Calais children

In 2017, we called on the editors of The Sun, the Daily Star, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express to stop risking children's security and inciting discrimination by publishing photographs and personal details about unaccompanied young people arriving in the UK from Calais. Read more

Published: 2nd January, 2017

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author:

Hold online offenders financially accountable for child sexual abuse

Hold online offenders financially accountable for child sexual abuse

In 2016, we called on Michael Gove MP, UK Secretary of State for Justice, to grant access to recovery funds for child victims of online sexual abuse. Thank you to the 38,543 ECPAT UK supporters who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 3rd November, 2016

Updated: 28th February, 2018

Author:

Protect children from trafficking in Scotland

Protect children from trafficking in Scotland

In 2015, ECPAT UK, Walk Free and CARE successfully petitioned Scottish Parliament to include a number of important provisions for child victims of trafficking in the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act. Thank you to the more than 6,000 supporters who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 3rd November, 2015

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author:

Help stop child slavery in Kenya

Help stop child slavery in Kenya

In 2015, ECPAT UK, Child Aid Organization Kenya and Walk Free successfully petitioned the UK and Kenya to help set up the first child protection unit in Kenya. Thank you to the more than 41,000 supporters who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 23rd February, 2015

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Home Secretary: Help stop child trafficking by strengthening the Modern Slavery Bill

Home Secretary: Help stop child trafficking by strengthening the Modern Slavery Bill

In 2015, we successfully petitioned the Home Secretary to amend the Modern Slavery Act to better protect trafficked children. Thank you to the more than 80,000 supporters who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 20th February, 2015

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Prime Minister: Keep vital EU criminal justice powers

Prime Minister: Keep vital EU criminal justice powers

CAMPAIGN SUCCESS! In 2014, we successfully petitioned the Prime Minister to keep vital EU powers that help fight child exploitation and trafficking. Thank you to the more than 2,000 supporters who signed this emergency 24-hour petition. Read more

Published: 10th November, 2014

Updated: 23rd February, 2017

Author: Anonymised User

Stop the sexual abuse of children in travel and tourism

Stop the sexual abuse of children in travel and tourism

In 2014, we called on the UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to immediately introduce measures that make it easier to investigate and prosecute travelling British sex offenders, and protect vulnerable children. Thank you to the more than 10,000 supporters who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 4th August, 2014

Updated: 8th March, 2018

Author: Anonymised User

Stop sex trafficking campaign with The Body Shop

Stop sex trafficking campaign with The Body Shop

In 2011, ECPAT UK, in partnership with The Body Shop, handed in one of the largest petitions ever to the UN, calling for the global abolition of child trafficking for sexual exploitation. Thank you to the more than 7 million people in 50 countries, including over 700,000 in the UK, who signed this petition. Read more

Published: 23rd February, 2011

Updated: 9th June, 2017

Author: Anonymised User

Anti-Slavery Day

Anti-Slavery Day

In December 2009, the Anti-Slavery Day Bill was introduced in Parliament as a Private Members’ Bill by the then Conservative MP Anthony Steen, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking of Women and Children (now the APPG on Human Trafficking). ECPAT UK helped to draft the Bill and promote it amongst parliamentarians. Read more

Published: 11th October, 2010

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Three Small Steps: Guardianship for child victims of trafficking

Three Small Steps: Guardianship for child victims of trafficking

As part of its Three Small Steps campaign to protect child victims of trafficking, ECPAT UK called for a system of guardianship for child victims of trafficking in the UK. ECPAT UK continues to campaign for independent guardianship to be fully implemented across all parts of the UK. Read more

Published: 24th June, 2007

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Three Small Steps: Anti-Trafficking Commissioner campaign

Three Small Steps: Anti-Trafficking Commissioner campaign

As part of its Three Small Steps campaign, ECPAT UK called for the establishment of an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to comply with international legal standards and ensure the UK Government is held to account to implement anti-trafficking measures. The campaign was successful and the Anti-Trafficking Commissioner was introduced in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Read more

Published: 23rd June, 2007

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Three Small Steps

Three Small Steps

The Three Small Steps Campaign was launched in 2007 by ECPAT UK and World Vision UK. Following a number of successful outcomes for the campaign, ECPAT UK relaunched the campaign in 2009 focusing on new aims and objectives, calling for safe accommodation, guardianship and the introduction of a National Rapporteur on trafficking. Read more

Published: 24th June, 2006

Updated: 20th May, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

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Latest

  • Joint response to the King's Speech announcement of reforms to the modern slavery framework

    Joint response to the King's Speech announcement of reforms to the modern slavery framework

    Following the announcement In the King's Speech that the new Immigration and Asylum Bill will include reforms to the modern slavery legislative framework, leading organisations and experts warn the government that it cannot end human trafficking and modern slavery without a safeguarding-first response to all victims and survivors that shifts the balance of risk decisively onto traffickers

  • Child Trafficking Survivors Warn: Government Proposals Will Put Vulnerable Children at Risk

    Child Trafficking Survivors Warn: Government Proposals Will Put Vulnerable Children at Risk

    The ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group has issued a strong response to the King’s Speech with the announcement of a new Immigration and Asylum Bill as part of the government’s ongoing plans to reform the asylum and immigration system. The group raises the alarm about the impact on child victims of trafficking of major changes which will make identification and protection of victims harder.

  • An Overview of Child Trafficking, Modern Slavery & Exploitation

    An Overview of Child Trafficking, Modern Slavery & Exploitation

    This online course provides a detailed overview of child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation in the UK, supporting practitioners to identify and effectively safeguard child victims.

  • ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

    ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

    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.

Most read

  • What is child trafficking?

  • Child trafficking statistics

    Child trafficking statistics

    The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.

  • National Referral Mechanism

    National Referral Mechanism

    The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.

  • Volunteer

    Volunteer

    ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.

  • The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

    The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

    The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.

  • Our team

    Our team

    ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.

  • About us

    About us

    ECPAT UK is a leading children's rights organisation working to protect children from child trafficking and transnational child exploitation. We support children everywhere to uphold their rights and to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

    United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

    The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990, ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992.

  • Contact us

    Contact us

    If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. For all other enquiries related to our work, contact [email protected] or call 020 7607 2136.

  • United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (including the Palermo Protocol)

    United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (including the Palermo Protocol)

    The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto is the main international legal instrument in the fight against transnational organised crime, including human trafficking.

More than Words: how definitions impact on the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation

More than Words: how definitions impact on the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation

This report highlights how overlaps and gaps in terminology, and how they have created confusion and definitional instabilitythat hinders effective identification and intervention. These inconsistencies impact frontline practice, from safeguarding to policing and prosecution, resulting in missed opportunities to protect children from harm. Read more

Published: 22nd July, 2025

Updated: 5th March, 2026

Author: Laura Duran

ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

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. Read more

Published: 5th May, 2026

Updated: 13th May, 2026

Author: Laura Duran

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Report immediate concerns about a child's welfare

If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. You can find their contact details on the Directgov website or in the phone book.

You can also contact the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If your concern is urgent, please call the police in your area or 999.

ECPAT UK
Family Action
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Email: [email protected]

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