Human Trafficking: Update
- Document number
- 1333
- Date
- 2007
- Title
- Human Trafficking: Update
- Author/publisher
- House of Lords & House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- National Law,
- Keywords
- Twenty-first Report of Session 2006-07, HL Paper 179, HC 1056, United Kingdom
- Summary
- During 2006 we conducted a major inquiry into human trafficking, focusing on the scale of the problem in the UK and the adequacy of the Government’s policies in this area in terms of human rights protection. Our Report was published in October 2006. This short Report is intended to provide an update on our continuing scrutiny of the Government’s actions against human trafficking. We are publishing it on 18 October to mark the European Union’s action day against human trafficking. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. We wish to see the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking ratified as early as possible. We recommend that the Government announce a target date for ratification and publish a ratification plan, to concentrate minds across Whitehall on the necessary action and guard against slippage. (Paragraph 7) 2. We reiterate our recommendation that the protection of victims should be incorporated into the legislative framework, particularly in relation to immigration law. We seek the Government’s confirmation that this will be done as part of the process of ratifying the Council of Europe Convention. (Paragraph 8) 3. We would welcome an early indication from Government of how Article 13 of the Convention, relating to the recovery and reflection period, will be implemented in UK law. (Paragraph 9) 4. We again urge the Government to drop its reservation to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in order to ensure that the protection of the child victims of trafficking is not compromised in any way. (Paragraph 10) 5. We welcome the action the Government has taken so far to protect the victims of human trafficking, but much more work remains to be done. We recommend that the Government act positively to initiate and assist projects to support the victims of human trafficking and keep us informed of what is being done, including funding arrangements and access criteria. (Paragraph 11) 6. We recommend that the Government publish an annual report to Parliament on its work in combating human trafficking and helping victims, based on the Action Plan published earlier this year, and including an account of the activities of the UK Human Trafficking Centre. (Paragraph 12)
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