In response to the announcement today (Wednesday 25th March), by NIO Minister Paul Goggins, Chair of the Organised Crime Task Force, that comprehensive care and support services will be available for the victims of human trafficking in Northern Ireland, Fionna Smyth of Amnesty International said:

"Amnesty International warmly welcomes the Minister's announcement of new support for the victims of human trafficking. Amnesty has campaigned long and hard to ensure that trafficking victims, who are often extremely vulnerable and traumatised, receive the care and services they need to recover from their ordeal. We are delighted that the government is due to ratify the European Convention on Trafficking and that the NIO has sourced funding to make sure that Northern Ireland can live up to its treaty obligations."

"Amnesty International will be monitoring the support programme to ensure that it delivers the protection needed by these victims of crime."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The extent of trafficking in the UK

By its very definition, trafficking is an underground business and therefore it is very difficult to gain accurate information about its scale in the UK. However, the following statistics are available:

In 2000 the Home Office estimated that in one year, between 142 and 1,420 Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights were trafficked into the UK.
By 2003, the UK Government estimated that 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution were in the UK at any one time.
Prostitution and the trafficking of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights is the third highest ‘black market’ income earner globally after drugs and arms.
A UNICEF report in 2006 suggested that at any one time there are 5,000 child sex workers in the UK, most of them trafficked here.