Child trafficking: family and immigration courts must join together to protect victims

Child trafficking is a growing problem. Recently published statistics from the National Crime Agency show that the number of children trafficked into and out of the UK has soared in the past year and we ourselves are receiving an increasing number of calls to our Advice Line regarding such cases.

The Government has taken noble first steps in tackling trafficking in the Modern Slavery Bill and through its proposals for victims to be assigned Cafcass Guardians who will represent their interests during court proceedings.

However while the intentions behind these proposals are good they simply will not improve outcomes for victims. Here I will outline why a joint Family and Immigration Court is the only solution that will better address the needs of trafficking victims.

Protecting the best interests of the victim

From the moment that a trafficked child is identified the primary focus must be protecting that child's best interests and...

Read the full article here.