What is the aim of this toolkit

Trafficking in people involves a collection of crimes, spanning a variety of countries, and involving an increasing number of victims – resulting in considerable suffering for those trafficked. It includes the exploitation of women, children and men through force, coercion and threat and the use of deception and human rights abuses such as debt bondage, deprivation of liberty and lack of control over one’s labour. Exploitation occurs through prostitution and other types of sexual exploitation, and through other forms of labour exploitation. It includes the movement of people across borders and also to movement and exploitation within borders. Unfortunately, there is little general awareness of its nature, its extent and what actions should be taken to combat it.

A key objective of this toolkit is to increase awareness amongst the agencies responsible for tackling these crimes and amongst the Crime and Disorder Partnerships that are setting the local priorities for crime reduction. The primary aim of the toolkit is to help those who deal with illegal immigrants and trafficking victims to distinguish victims in genuine need and to deal with them appropriately. It also seems important, however, to suggest ways in which enforcement officers may be helped to identify traffickers, obtain better evidence and bring successful prosecutions against the traffickers. Similarly it aims to help those with child protection responsibilities to understand the particular requirements of trafficked children. Throughout the toolkit, efforts are made to highlight the considerations and issues that need to be dealt with, and to provide appropriate references to material and organisations which may help.

The Government has made clear that it views trafficking in human beings as a totally unacceptable form of organised crime. In negotiating and signing the UN Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking, the UK has supported the primary international legal instrument defining the crime and setting out the response to it. The UN Protocol is the basis of the UK action to combat trafficking, and has been adopted as the framework for EU action on trafficking through the subsequent EU Framework Decision on Trafficking, adopted last year.

In the White Paper 'Secure Borders, Safe Haven' (cm 5387) published last year, the Government set out a four point strategy for tackling trafficking, comprising:

• legislation - new criminal offences of trafficking were included in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, and in the forthcoming Sex Offences Bill;

• enforcement - support for the work of the Reflex taskforce tackling the organised criminals who are behind trafficking;

• victim support - making provision for the victims of trafficking to receive support so that they can escape their circumstances and recognising that they may be able to help law enforcement disrupt and prosecute organised criminals; and

• international co-operation - working with international partners to tackle trafficking at source and ensure effective action against this form of transnational organised crime.

This toolkit complements that strategy by focusing on practical measures to address the scale of trafficking in the UK, the needs of victims and how to ensure effective multi-agency co-operation at local level. The toolkit is not a policy paper, and is based upon existing statements of Government policy on trafficking. Nor is it a guide to investigating trafficking, and as a public document does not contain sensitive material which could be of use to the traffickers themselves. Finally, it cannot aim to be a definitive guide, so references are included to other key literature. It is hoped that this toolkit will evolve as more evidence of good practice emerges and as the needs of those using it develop.