§ Mr. PriskTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken by the Government to curb the number of women illegally trafficked against their will for use in vice rings. [77555]
§ Beverley HughesWe set out a comprehensive approach to tackle trafficking and other forms of organised crime in the White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven" published earlier this year. This approach encompasses new legislation to criminalise trafficking. The Nationality Immigration and Asylum (NIA) Bill currently before Parliament creates an offence of trafficking for the purpose of controlling someone through prostitution, with a tough maximum sentence of 14 years. This measure will tackle the worst forms of exploitation, pending the introduction of comprehensive legislation that will cover trafficking for the purposes of both labour and sexual exploitation.
We are working to tackle the criminal networks involved in people trafficking through Reflex, the multi-agency response to organised immigration crime. Reflex has co-ordinated intelligence on the scale and has assisted with planning operations such as Horsley, which dismantled a group trafficking Thai women into the UK.
We also recognise the importance of providing protection for the victims of trafficking in order to encourage them to co-operate with the authorities. We are developing support arrangements for victims in co-operation with the voluntary sector and plan to establish a pilot scheme next year. In conjunction with this we are developing a toolkit to raise awareness of the problem with police and immigration officers to help them to identify victims.
Finally, we are working with our European Union partners and with source and transit countries to build effective international action. We have established a network of liaison officers to build intelligence on routes and methods used by the traffickers. We are also working with the International Organisation for Migration to develop a programme for the safe voluntary return of trafficking victims.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle human trafficking into the United Kingdom. [78149]
§ Beverley HughesWe set out a comprehensive approach to tackle trafficking and other forms of organised crime in the White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven" published earlier this year. This approach encompasses new legislation to criminalise trafficking. The Nationality Immigration and Asylum (NIA) Bill currently before Parliament creates an offence of trafficking for the purpose of controlling someone through prostitution, with a tough maximum sentence of 14 years. This measure will tackle the worst forms of exploitation, pending the introduction of comprehensive legislation that will cover trafficking for the purposes of both labour and sexual exploitation.
109WWe are working to tackle the criminal networks involved in people trafficking through Reflex, the multi-agency response to organised immigration crime. Its remit is to co-ordinate operations against organised immigration crime and to develop the intelligence and strategic planning to underpin them.
We also recognise the importance of providing protection for the victims of trafficking in order to encourage them to co- operate with the authorities. We are developing support arrangements for victims in co-operation with the voluntary sector and plan to establish a pilot scheme next year, in conjunction with this we are developing a toolkit to raise awareness of the problem with police and immigration officers to help them to treat victims compassionately.
Finally, we are working with our European Union partners and with source and transit countries to build effective international action. We have established a network of liaison officers to build intelligence on routes and methods used by the traffickers. We are also working with the International Organisation for Migration to develop a programme for the safe voluntary return of trafficking victims.