I went to a meeting recently on the Trafficking of African children in the UK.
Apart from illegal Arms and Drugs, people trafficking is the third most lucrative business world-wide. Many children are brought to the UK from different parts of Africa.
Most children and young people coming from East Africa are trafficked for sexual exploitation and prostitution. Some that come and claim asylum are looked after by local authorities homes from which they ‘disappear’ within a few days of arrival. Thus England acts as a ‘holding ground’ until they are taken abroad to countries like Italy and Holland. Others (both young girls and boys mainly from West Africa) are brought here for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, benefit fraud or forced marriage.
A video made by victims of trafficking was shown and the plight of these young girls was pitiful because their lives were in limbo. After spending many years in Britain, once they reached the age of 18 they are deported to return to their countries where they are deemed ‘safe’. Almost all of these girl had lost ties with their families.
Another form of trafficking is in the form of illegal adoptions, so called ‘miracle births’ with the full collusion of some church pastors who convince its members that they are pregnant and when it’s time to give birth the ‘expectant mother’ is taken to a poor area of an African country, where the natural mother gives birth to a ‘dead baby’ and the ‘expectant mother’ has her miracle birth.

Identifying Victims of trafficking.

* Young girls living in houses with an excessive number of men visiting.
*Excessive child labour in the home always cooking and cleaning.
* Dressed inadequately for the weather. One seventeen year old teenager said that he did not have a winter coat until he ran away and stayed with friends. He had been here since he was nine years old.
*Some children are confined to the house and do not go to school or lack of an adult at parent/teacher evenings.
* Signs of physical abuse and malnutrition.

Identifying the traffickers
*Life style
*Frequent trips abroad, returning with children.
*Corrupt Government officials in the UK and in Africa

What can we do to prevent child trafficking?

Be aware that this practice does go on and in your neighbourhood. Educate family and friends about the damage this causes the victims. To date only one person has been prosecuted for this practice and it is a trade that nets millions of pounds in the UK alone.

www.afruca.org

AFRUCA. Africans Unite Against Child Abuse