ECPAT UK and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner have published a new report providing an overview of child trafficking in the UK between 2022 and 2024. Despite a 138% rise in child trafficking cases over five years and British children accounting for 78% of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2023, critical legal and policy gaps persist. Key recommendations:

The UK Government should invest in long-term prevention efforts with a cross-departmental UK-wide Child Exploitation Strategy that prioritises early prevention, protection, and care in the UK, to stop the exploitation of children.

The UK Government must urgently repeal harmful provisions in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Illegal Migration Act 2023, to remove barriers to protection and ensure all child victims of trafficking are identified and protected.

The Home Office must provide confirmed child victims of trafficking, a grant of immigration leave of at least five years with a route to settlement, if in line with their best interests in compliance with the UK’s international obligations.

The Home Office should expand the National Referral Mechanism Devolving Child Decision-Making Pilot Programme across the UK and commit to making the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians available to all local authorities in England.