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VIEW, Issue four, 2012


Website: viewdigital.org


Page 6


Campaign to end human trafficking in Northern Ireland steps up a gear


Standing firm: Young people outside Belfast City Hall during the recent No more Traffik week


tive action against trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, an increasing problem across in Northern Ireland. Adults and children are known to be trafficked here for sexual exploitation, for various forms of labour exploitation and for crimi- nal activity, including illegal drug production, fraud and theft.


A


adviser to the Assembly group, said: ‘’Human trafficking and the exploitation


Grainne Teggart of Amnesty International, an


which follows are egregious violations of human rights. The problem has been growing in scale in Northern Ireland in recent years and the new All Party Group shows that it will get the political at- tention it deserves. The all party group will be con- sidering possible changes to the law here and how to better coordinate efforts across government and between statutory and non-statutory agen- cies.”


ruary and has had presentations from numerous organisations including, PSNI, Department of Jus- tice and NI Human Rights Commission. At a meet- ing this month, MLAs will consider a work


The APGHT has been operational since Feb-


A step forward: Anna Lo, chair of the new all-party group at the Assembly Image: Aaron McCracken, Harrison Photography


programme which will detail the specifics of the work our MLAs will undertake. This has been drafted by Ms Teggart, who said: A focussed work programme, will serve to promote effective action against trafficking for sexual and labour exploita- tion in Northern Ireland. Shared learning with the other devolved administrations and European net- works will feature as part of this and will con- tribute to our understanding of this problem to help focus our thinking.’’ The Public Prosecution Service and NI Com-


ssembly efforts to tackle Human Traffick- ing in Northern Ireland has stepped up a gear with the launch of an All Party group on Human Trafficking (APGHT) recently. The group was established to promote effec-


Image: Laura Curran


mission for Children and Young People (NICCY) will also be present at the meeting. The new Assembly group aims to tackle the


problem through awareness-raising, building co-op- eration with parliamentary counterparts in Eng- land, Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland and by monitoring and advocating changes in law, policy and practice. Ms Teggart, Adviser and Secretariat to the


group, said: “Human Trafficking is a complex issue and therefore requires joint working on coordina- tion and prevention measures. Coordination be- tween all party groups across the UK will be important. To signal this joint working Baroness Butler-


Sloss, co-chair of APPG on Human Trafficking at Westminster and Anthony Steen, former MP and founder of UK Human Trafficking Foundation which services the APPG at Westminster, spoke at the launch on the scale of the problem and how we move forward together.’’ Anna Lo MLA, chair of the All Party Group,


said: “Today is a great step forward in our fight against human trafficking. Assembly members from all parties are committed to making Northern Ire- land a hostile place for traffickers. We will proac- tively address gaps in our systems here to bring about the change that is needed to end this mod- ern day slavery.’’


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