MPs must engage with today's 'imperative' Modern Slavery Bill

Today the Second Reading of the Modern Slavery Bill will take place in the Commons. The Modern Slavery Bill gives parliamentarians the opportunity to engage with what could be the most significant and comprehensive piece of legislation on slavery in a generation.

Nearly 21 million men, women and children around the world today are trapped in slavery. Shockingly in 2012 there were 2,225 potential victims of human trafficking in the UK – 25% were children.

There is limited data on the number of children being affected as this is very much a hidden crime but data shows that at least 10 children a week are trafficked in the UK, destined for domestic work, forced labour or sexual exploitation.

UNICEF UKwelcomes the introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill and the positive steps the Government has taken to expand the emphasis of the Bill from prosecution to include a greater focus on victim support. It is vital that prevention and protection are prioritised within the Bill to ensure a comprehensive approach to tackling the horrendous crime of child trafficking – a call that has been made by the Draft Bill Joint Committee, many NGOs and nearly 50,000 UNICEF UK supporters.

To ensure the Bill properly protects some of the most vulnerable children in our society – trafficked children - UNICEF UKis calling for the Bill to be strengthened in two key areas:

1) UNICEF UK believes that trafficked children need an independent legal guardian to care for them whilst they go through the legal process. This person would guide the young person through what is a complicated and frequently intimidating system. Whilst the Government’s trials of child advocates in 23 councils this year is very welcome, international best practice shows that advocates need to be independent of local authorities and given full legal powers to be able to act in the best interests of the child.

2) UNICEF UK welcomes the introduction of a statutory defence for victims of trafficking which provides an important safety net for victims. However, we believe this measure could be strengthened to better protect trafficked children by including a non-prosecution clause on the face of the Bill. This clause would enshrine the principle that child victims of trafficking and modern slavery should not face prosecutionfor any crimes they have committed as a result of their trafficking situation.

We hope that MPs from all parties will attend the Second Reading today and that Parliamentarians from both sides of the House will engage with the Bill over the months to come.

It is imperative that we do all we can, both through legislation and through practice, to ensure trafficked children are safe, protected and able to rebuild their lives.

For further information please contact UNICEF UK