Amnesty International has welcomed the police action that has led to the rescue of a number of suspected victims of trafficking, after raids on a number of Belfast brothels.
Amnesty International's Northern Ireland Programme Director, Patrick Corrigan, said:
"We hope these women can be properly identified as trafficking victims and receive the support, temporary accommodation and medical attention they may need.
“Based on recent cases, though, there’s a risk that they could instead be treated not as victims but as illegal immigrants, and could even end up being forcibly removed from the country, perhaps going straight back into the hands of the traffickers.
"The police should be commended for helping to free women from this modern-day slavery, but there needs to be for more effort made to crack the trafficking gangs and bring criminals to justice.
"According to figures we published in June, between April 2009 and April 2010 a total of 25 people were identified as presumed trafficked persons in Northern Ireland, yet there hasn’t been a single successful trafficking prosecution as a result.
"We need better implementation of the European Convention against Trafficking - only then will it be possible to treat victims of trafficking compassionately, and properly prosecute the criminals behind this horrible human rights abuse", he concluded.
Archbishop criticises government over sex trafficking
The Archbishop of York has said that the UK government is not responding effectively to new pan-European attempts to tackle sex trafficking.
Describing the practice of forcing women and children into prostitution as “modern-day slavery”, Dr John Sentamu said he was "shocked" that the UK coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had opted out of a European Union directive aimed at encouraging nations to join forces against the trade.
He called on the Government to rethink its “seriously flawed” position and “make the UK a more hostile environment for traffickers”.
“This is women being exploited, degraded and subjected to horrific risks solely for the gratification and economic greed of others," said the Archbishop.
“I am stunned to learn the Government are opting out of an EU directive designed to tackle sex trafficking," he continued. “This seems to be a common-sense directive designed to co-ordinate European efforts to combat the trade in sex slaves. What we need are tough cross-border solutions to international problems."
“We need to join with our European brothers and sisters and put an end to this evil trade," concluded Dr Sentamu.
According to the International Labour Organisation, 43 per cent of the 2.45 million individuals across the world currently being trafficked are forced into the sex trade, most of them women or young girls.
“Britain should get involved now and be part of improving the situation, not sitting on the sidelines offering wise words once the match is over,” the Archbishop declared.
No comments:
Post a Comment