Africans Unite Against Child Abuse

Projects

Trafficking of Children to the UK

Project contact: Debbie Ariyo

AFRUCA is the ONLY African charity in the UK working on counter trafficking issues. Our work on trafficking imbibes a holistic approach, working closely with others to sensitise the community – both in the UK, other countries in Europe and in Africa, support child victims of trafficking and influence relevant governments’ policies and regulatory action.

Our activities:

• Increased awareness raising, sensitization and promoting attitudinal changes amongst the African community in the UK and in source countries in terms of the exploitation, abuse and the trafficking of children. AFRUCA believes that the most effective way of safeguarding children is by raising the level of awareness so that people can begin to see child protection and safeguarding as an issue that concerns and involves them.
• Increased collaboration with practitioners in raising the skills level of staff through taking part in various training activities and in drawing up relevant policies, strategies and protocols to ensure each agency is better able to support and meet the needs of child victims of trafficking.
• Continuous advocacy and lobbying to ensure governments are aware of and see the need for changes in the law so that children can be better protected, and that all those responsible for protecting them are supported and empowered to do so.
• Increasingly, providing support, counseling and friendship for victims of trafficking to ensure they can get the help, support and justice they deserve as children. We do this either directly when we are approached by the young people or those who know them, or indirectly working with various local authorities social services, the police, law firms and others.

Our Achievements in he Area of Counter-Trafficking

• In July 2007, we held a two day international conference: Trafficking of African Children to the UK: Addressing the Demand and Supply Nexus. This conference brought together many international experts to discuss the issue of child trafficking. A key conclusion was the link made between witchcraft and the trafficking of children in Africa.
• In November 2002, AFRUCA held the first community meeting in the UK to raise awareness of the growth in the trafficking of African children in to the country. Over 100 members of the African community in the London area attended the event.
• As part of our "Denouncing the "Better Life" Syndrome" Campaign, we held a series of media campaigns and a seminar in Lagos, Nigeria, in October 2003 to raise awareness among NGO colleagues, the media and other stakeholders about the high number of Nigerian children trafficked to the UK.
• Im March 2007, we held a workshop at the African Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Kampala, Uganda. This enabled us to intimate conference delegates with ongoing issues around the trafficking of East African children to Europe.
• AFRUCA's 2004 National Conference was focused on the Role of the African Community in the UK in Combating Child Trafficking. Over 200 members of the African community, practitioners and policymakers attended the programme. Click to Read the Conference Conclusions.
• AFRUCA is currently researching the establishment of a free Community Hotline for Child Victims of Trafficking. The Hotline will enable those within the African community who know victims of trafficking and exploitation in the London area and are reluctant to contact the authorities for whatever reasons to refer such cases to AFRUCA for onward reporting to the Police and Social Services.
• AFRUCA has received funding from the Body Shop Foundation to develop its strategic work against the trafficking of African Children Across Europe. The one year project is the first step in our efforts to develop multi-lateral co-operations in combating the trafficking of children among African community groups across Europe and specifically in Switzerland, Belgium and Ireland.
• In partnership with ECPAT UK, AFRUCA has received funding from Comic Relief to develop and run training programmes for practitioners across the UK on Child Trafficking. The programme will enable ECPAT UK and AFRUCA to help develop the skills and competencies of relevant staff in working with child victims of trafficking.
• AFRUCA has recently received funding from the Home Office to hold a series of consultative meeting focus groups with members of the African community across London. The meetings enabled us to gather views from members of the African community across the capital about prevention, identification, protection and rehabiiltation of victims.
• Since our establishment in 2001, we have provided support to over 50 victims of trafficking - either directly or indirectly via practitioners and others working with victims. This figure does not include cases of children we have heard of or been told about but unable to reach because the annonymous reporter feels unable to disclose enough information to enable this happen.
• AFRUCA has received funding from the Body Shop Foundation to run an advocacy and awareness raising campaign on child trafficking in London. The project will enable us to further reach members of different african communities to raise the issues around child exploitation and how to safeguard vulnerable children.