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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is available for immigration and police officers in identifying a trafficked child; and what powers can be used to protect trafficked children discovered at ports and airports. [110783] Beverley Hughes: Training provided to police and immigration officers is through the practical sharing of skills and experience across agencies. There is, for example, work underway involving key agencies at principal entry points to identify children at risk, including pilot projects involving the immigration service, police and social services at Heathrow and Dover. Furthermore the Home Office has recently published the `trafficking toolkit' providing guidance for immigration and police officers on how to recognise a victim of trafficking and what to do if such a victim is encountered. In addition all United Kingdom immigration officers at ports of entry have been issued with a profile of potential child trafficking victims. In the event of specific intelligence coming to light about the potential arrival of trafficked children all UK immigration service offices are quickly notified. Two immigration officers on attachment to the National Crime Squad Immigration Crime Team (ICT) have attended a week-long multi-agency course on trafficking held by the Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit of the London Metropolitan University. They have cascaded the training to ICT colleagues. A vice team consisting of specifically selected immigration officers has also been established in London. The team is fully aware of the procedures with regard to the identification of trafficked children. It is an offence under Section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971, as amended by Section 143 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 to assist in unlawful immigration to the United Kingdom, and Section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum (NIA) Act 2002 has also made it an offence to traffic in prostitution. Anyone convicted of either offence is liable to imprisonment for up to 14 years. There is however no current evidence to indicate that trafficking in children is a large-scale problem in the United Kingdom.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

110783; 404 c747-8W;404 c743-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Children Airports Human trafficking Immigration officers Police Powers Ports Training

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk