UK: Leading charities call for protection for all trafficked people in Government action plan

Response to Home Office announcement of consultation on trafficking. Joint statement by Amnesty International UK, Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK and UNICEF UK.

We welcome the Government's launch of a public consultation on its national action plan against human trafficking and its continued commitment to tackling trafficking.

As part of this process we urge the Government to sign the Council of Europe's European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

This is the only international law that provides trafficked people with guaranteed minimum standards of protection. These include at least 30 days to remain in the country to receive support, including emergency medical assistance, safe housing and legal advice.

Many Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, Children's rights and men are trafficked to the UK each year, but the support that exists here is available only to Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights trafficked into prostitution and is accessible under narrow criteria.

We urge the Government to ensure the national action plan includes a commitment to:

• guaranteed minimum reflection periods for all trafficked people
• specialist support and medical assistance
• specialist safe houses for child and adult victims of trafficking
• temporary residence permits for those deemed at risk if sent back to their countries of origin

Take action - write to your local MP asking them to urge the government to sign up to the Council of Europe Convention On Action Against the Trafficking of Human Beings