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The GRETA has urged the United Kingdom to improve the identification and protection of child victims of trafficking, expressing particular concern about children going missing from local authority care. The report says that progress has been made in a number of areas, notably including the adoption of dedicated, comprehensive legislation on human trafficking/modern slavery. It also welcomes the UK’s efforts to set up specialised structures for combating human trafficking, the multi-agency approach promoted by the authorities, including when it comes to identifying victims, and their engagement with civil society. However, GRETA is concerned that child trafficking remains underreported and there is a continuing lack of safe accommodation for children who are suspected or known to have been trafficked. GRETA calls on the authorities to take steps to improve the identification and protection of child victims of trafficking, to address the problem of children going missing from local authority care and to improve the exchange of information on missing unaccompanied children between police forces and local authorities. GRETA also considers that the UK authorities should strengthen their efforts to ensure that human trafficking cases are investigated proactively, prosecuted successfully, and lead to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions. |
