David Davis, Damian Green and Theresa May were at St Stephen's Club today to again put pressure on the Government over human trafficking, particularly on why it still hasn't ratified the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings 2005 (ECAATHB).
They released a report (download pdf here) on the problems and solutions to human trafficking. It's just nine pages so worth a quick read, some of the statistics are shocking.
Labour finally took advantage of the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade by signing the treaty last March. Over nine months later after the headlines and it hasn't done anything about it, surprise surprise. The treaty comes into force in ten countries on February 1st. Cllr Andrew Gilbert proposed the idea of ratifying the convention fourteen months ago in our 100policies experiment, and it was approved in a vote of readers. Also, at Spring Forum this year the Party's Human Rights Commission launched a campaign in support of Stop the Traffik, which included a Freedom Wall that many activists and senior party figures signed their support.
They also spoke about making Operation Pentameter permanent, the advantages of introducing a proper UK Border Police Force (Lord Stevens' report on which is due soon), and strengthening airport security protocol in looking out for trafficking. Press reporting so far has partly focused on proposals - such as having a 30 day asylum reprieve for victims, setting up a dedicated helpline, and increasing the number of safe houses - that were actually announced by Davis a year ago today! We reported on them at the time. Good to get more coverage for the issue though. The Government's feet-dragging on this is hard to fathom, surely it can find a few spare civil servants and the relatively small amount of money required to get it squared away.
If anyone, like one or two commenters last time, is in any doubt about what we mean about human trafficking, it's not about immigration but more about the selling of human beings such as this poor woman.
According to dictionary definition, human trafficking is..
"‘Trafficking in persons’ shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons,(by jobcentreplus) by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion (stopping benefit) the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability(being out of work)...for the purpose of exploitation.(working for 50pence an hour) Exploitation shall include...forced labour or services."(stacking shelves in supermarkets that donate to the Labour party)
Sounds like the complulsary work option of Labour's NewDeal to me!
Posted by: Tony Makara | January 03, 2008 at 18:25
Labour losing the moral high ground on yet another issue. They often mean well but are SO incompetent! I woul;dn't be surprised if they'd simply forgotten.
Posted by: Kate Bollinger | January 03, 2008 at 22:44
It certainly seems that the number of cases of young women being brought here for the white slave trade has grown enormously over the last ten years. There seems to be no co-ordinated strategy to stop this coming from the Labour government. As ever Labour make promises but don't keep them.
Posted by: Tony Makara | January 03, 2008 at 23:15
Labour are so in thrall to polls and popularity contests, that they have forgotten that sometimes principles count.
Making firm steps towards solving the modern slave trade will not get you many votes so they don't care. The fact that this is an immoral, despicable trade that shames all of us, is secondary.
Posted by: Serf | January 04, 2008 at 06:20
3 points
1) EU citizens can travel freely across borders so it becomes extremely difficult to prove anything about trafficking and clearly you cannot deport women from EU countries so the problem of getting evidence/witnesses about illegal brothels should not be a problem.
2) Most of the the non UK women who work in the sex trade are in London ( in the rest of the country it is primarily UK citizens who work in the sex trade ) and are from the EU. A few are from Russia so they are the only illegals working here.
3) The Police have ample powers already to crack down on brothels and they should use these, new laws are simple not needed.
It is simply another failure of the Home Office and that paragon of virtue , Sir Ian Blair , who are simply failing to enforce the law as it stands.
Posted by: jim hamilton | January 04, 2008 at 07:33
I am somewhat concerned the Conservatives should be seeking to ratify yet another piece of EU legislation, no matter how worthy it looks, for all we end up doing is to open ourselves up to yet more EU interference, and lose yet more rights to act in our own interests in another area of Government.
If we feel there is some legislation which needs putting on the books, well put the legislation on here, DON'T ratify anymore EU legislation, for that removes it from our area of sovereignty for good, where we will never be able to prise the EU's fingers from it, and never again able to act in our own interests on the issue.
It saddens me that Conservatives should be seeking to ratify this, for it would appear they have learned nothing from the effects of signing sovereignty over to the EU when they were in power, or learned nothing in watching all the sovereignty Labour have signed over.
When will they learn?
Posted by: Iain | January 04, 2008 at 09:59
This is not the first time Conservatives have raised this truly dreadful issue. It is shameful that NULAB has presided over the return of slavery after 200 years. They pontificate sanctimiously about their concern for the underdog and human rights, but fail dismally to act against uncontrolled immigration and human trafficking. Is there anything we can expect NULAB to do right?
Posted by: Tony Woodcock | January 04, 2008 at 12:21
As an escort can I comment there is a lot of noinsense written about the sex trade. Street prostitution is the bad end as it is rarely the choice of the girls to get into it. In the upmarket escort/courtesan end of the business it is without doubt the choice of the girl to enter the profession, it is well paid ,it gives female empowerment , after 10 years if you have worked hard you are financially secure for the rest of you life. You can choose to work if and when you want. This description also applies to massage parlour workers though it will take longer to achieve finacial security.
Prostitution needs to be legalised to prevent the misuse of the workers in it.
Posted by: bevrly johnson | January 05, 2008 at 07:40
I think the crucial thing as the Women's Institute recognised last year when they voted for the legalisation of prostitution is that the best way to make sex workers safe is by legalising and managing the profession. At present althoughthe Police have hugh powers to stop street workers, brothels , trafficking they just dont use their powers so it is obviousl;y a total waste of time to pass more laws.
Prostitution is a profession which Conservatives should support it is a very good example of supply and demand where men are willing to pay significant sums of money to thousands of women to have sex. They clearly satisfy a hugh market femand as can be seen by going to anyone of the many websites giving details of the profession.
I personally have never regretted the day I started in the profession it has given me financial security and the ability to manage my own life.
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