EU urges more shelters for trafficking victims

12.47.00pm GMT Wed 10th Feb 2010

Liz launching the blue blindfold publicity campaign for trafficking awareness with senior police officers

The European Parliament voted today to back a resolution co tabled by Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne calling for more help for the victims of human trafficking gangs and the modern slave trade.

The resolution includes an amendment by the West Midlands MEP calling for more measures to support the victims, including increased provision of dedicated accommodation and specialist support services.

Currently there are only 54 dedicated beds available nationally for the victims of trafficking and none outside London, Cardiff and Sheffield.

Speaking after the vote Liz said:

"The Government must do much more to treat trafficked people as victims of a horrific crime. All too often they are treated as criminals or illegal immigrants.

"It is a disgrace that we have so few specialist shelters for the victims of trafficking in this country. In the UK we only have 54 specialist spaces for victims. In the West Midlands, where we have seen many horrific cases of trafficking, we have none.

"This is in stark contrast to some of our European neighbours such as Sweden.

"My hope is the resolution we adopted today will send a clear message that we need better facilities in place to help the victims and we need to do that now.

"There are credible estimates that between 600 000 to 800 000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year and this is only set to increase."

ENDS

Liz Lynne has campaigned against human trafficking for many years, as shadow rapporteur for a European Parliament report, the author of written declaration and parliamentary questions on the issue.

It is estimated that 4000 women, children and men are trafficked into the UK each year. The Poppy project in the UK is the only specialist charity currently providing 54 beds for the victims of trafficking in London , Cardiff and Sheffield.

The relevant part of the resolution adopted today including the amendment by Liz Lynne MEP reads as follows:

Victims' protection, support and assistance

Calls for victims' protection and support to be· a priority in EU action in this field and to ensure that victims receive the maximum help as possible since the very first moment they are identified as victims including:

o the access to a temporary residence permit independently of the victim's willingness to cooperate in proceedings,

o access to appropriate and secure accommodation and specialist support services including the provision of a food/subsistence allowance, access to emergency medical treatment, access to counselling services, translation and interpretation where appropriate, help contacting family and friends and access to education for children.

o a facilitated access to the labour market to be implemented also through training and other forms of skills enhancement,

o a facilitated policy of family reunification,

Draws the attention to particularly vulnerable· victims such as children and women and calls for specific assistance and protection programmes for them;

Stresses that victims of trafficking should· receive the widest protection, support and assistance also in case they have not been trafficked in or to the EU but outside the EU;

Bearing in mind that victims have no financial· means and therefore would not have the resources to pay, calls for victims to get a professional help, including legal aid for free, which is essential in order to escape the forced situation in which victims are found;