African girls smuggled into UK for domestic work

Community Action, June 16, 2003

LONDON -- Unicef is preparing a major study of child trafficking in the United Kingdom. Children are being trafficked into domestic service in Britain to clean houses and do chores without pay. The victims are mostly west African girls, lured on the promise of a Western education, only to find themselves forced to do heavy chores for wealthy families. The UK government is taking action against girls smuggled into Britain, but a loophole remains for the smuggling of girls for domestic service, the researchers report.

Ministers will now act to close a loophole identified by UNICEF. The UN agency's report will be published this summer. It warns that while the Government is now making smuggling children into Britain for prostitution an offence punishable by 14 years in jail, that will not stop gangs trading in children for non-sexual forced labour, from illegal work in sweatshops and restaurants to domestic service.