Euro-MPs child trafficking campaign is successful

3.05.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 23rd Sep 2008

A campaign in the European Parliament to highlight the problem of the estimated 2 million victims each year of child trafficking has moved on to the next stage. The Written Declaration, signed by local MEP Liz Lynne, has now been signed by over half of the Parliament's 785 MEPs, and will as such be debated in the chamber.

Liz Lynne MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, has for years campaigned to raise awareness of the horrors of human trafficking, which often leads to forced labour and prostitution. She is calling for urgent action from the EU institutions and Member States to do more to combat the illegal trade and today said:

"I am delighted this campaign has got the necessary backing from my fellow MEPs. Trafficking in human beings is a repulsive trade which is worth billions of pounds each year. Only arms and drugs trafficking are bigger business for organised crime. The fact that so many of its victims - two million every year - are children is a disgrace that we need to fight head on. Children are especially vulnerable to exploitation and there needs to be extra protection to prevent them being forced into prostitution or slave labour.

"We need Member States to ensure that anti-trafficking measures are a high priority in their child protection strategies. In addition, all Member States must sign and ratify the Council of Europe's Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings - the UK has still not ratified this.

"Trafficking rings are making use of all the latest technologies to carry out their vile trade and law enforcement needs to do the same to stop it. Our governments and NGOs also need to improve their sharing of information and experience, to ensure there are enough specially trained officers tackling trafficking and enough support for the victims.

"We will now have a high profile debate in the European Parliament which will help us get this subject further up the agenda and help MEPs push for more action to stop child trafficking in its tracks."

ENDS

Notes:

The text of the Written Declaration can be accessed here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+WDECL+P6-DCL-2008-0050+0+DOC+WORD+V0//EN&language=EN