International Crackdown On Human Trafficking

Immigration Minister Mark Harper has joined with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to call on international partners to redouble efforts against human trafficking. He outlined work the government is undertaking to tackle this crime, both in the UK and overseas. This includes:

• work with embassies and high commissions of key source countries
• collaboration between the Metropolitan Police, the Romanian National Police and the Romanian Embassy to share intelligence
• work by Border Force officials to identify victims
• victim care under a contract run by the Salvation Army

Mark Harper said: 'Human trafficking is an atrocious crime that requires a strong and robust approach, both from within the UK and internationally.


'The government will continue to identify what further we can do to stop people from becoming victims in the first place and, if they do, how we can best support them to recover and recuperate from their terrible ordeal.

'Our aim is to build on our collective efforts with international partners so far to continue to support victims and to identify and punish perpetrators.'

The top five countries for trafficking, based on potential victims referred through the UK's victim care system, are Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania, China and Slovakia. The top ten countries accounted for more than 64% of all referrals in 2011.