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Human Trafficking
for Labour and Sexual Exploitation in Commonwealth Europe
Stephanie Aiyagari
London Liaison Officer, CHRI Trustee Committee Office
In the 2005 CHOGM
communiqué, Heads of Government explicitly condemned human
trafficking, acknowledging that it deprives
people of their human dignity, including their rights and freedoms.
It was noted that eradication requires “a comprehensive approach
which focuses on prevention, protection and prosecution”.
An understanding of trafficking is therefore required - an overview
of the situation in Commonwealth Europe is provided below:
Cyprus
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Cyprus is
both a destination and transit country for sex trafficking.
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Cited in a
2005 report as not taking minimum steps to eliminate trafficking.
(United States Department of State, “Cyprus,” Trafficking
in Persons Report 2005, www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005)
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Despite establishing
a anti-trafficking police unit in 2004 and National Plan of
Action in 2005, failings include low public awareness, need
for civil society and government collaboration, and improved
victim protection. (US Trafficking in Persons Report vitalvoices.org
27-30/06/05)
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2004 figures
show that 32 out of 33 London Boroughs were concerned over trafficked
children. (Amnesty International UK, 14/10/04)
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Oxfordshire
social services on average take in 8 new trafficked children
per month: ‘most of whom have been dropped off [by] lorries
on the [motorway]’. (UNICEF, Child Labour Today, 2/05)
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A rising influx
of eastern European women are trafficked to London for sex work:
They face rape, beatings, threats of slavery, and are forced
to have sex with up to 40 men a day for little income. (Guardian,
11/02/05)
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In 2005, the
UK Solicitor General started to target men who solicit sexual
services of trafficked women. (Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons, Trafficking in Persons Report, 3/6/05,
www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005)
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Police have
found that hundreds of Turkish boys have been brought to the
UK to work in restaurants over the past few years. (UNICEF,
Child Labour Today, 2/05)
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Traffickers
have exploited a traditional west African practice of private
foster care (children brought up by someone outside the family
who sends them to school in return for domestic work). Some
are exploited, locked up and kept from school. 15,000-20,000
are estimated to be in private foster care in the UK. (UNICEF,
Child Labour Today, 2/05, p. 49-50)
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The government
of Malta has been accused of turning a blind eye when issuing
visas to likely victims of trafficking. Trafficking agents in
China market Malta as an easy gateway into the European Union.
(Maltatoday.com, 4 and 10 April 2005)
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The Italian
government has claimed that armed Maltese traffickers force
Chinese passengers to jump to shore to avoid Italian surveillance.
If they refuse, they are beaten, sometimes to death. (Maltatoday.com,
4 and 10 April 2005)
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In
2002 Glasgow witnessed a rise in the number of women and children
smuggled into prostitution according to a ECPAT report (End
Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children
for Sexual Purposes). They are promised a better life, but then
forced to work for little or no income. (BBC News, 29/07/02)
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CHRI
Newsletter, Spring 2006
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Editors: Mary
Rendell &
Clare
Doube , CHRI;
Layout: Print: Chenthil
Paramasivam , Web Developer:
Swayam Mohanty,
CHRI.
Acknowledgement: Many thanks to all contributors
Copyright
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
www.humanrightsinitiative.org
Published
by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, B-117, 1st Floor, Sarvodaya
Enclave, New Delhi - 110017, India
Tel: +91-11-26850523, 26864678; Fax: +91-11-26864688; Email: chriall@nda.vsnl.net.in
The
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent international
NGO mandated to ensure the practical realisation of human rights
in the Commonwealth.
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