|
By News Editor Declan Wilkes In an astonishing u-turn the Home Office is to continue funding the Met's 'Human Trafficking' unit. Three weeks ago the Home Office announced it was closing the specialist division, withdrawing its £2.3m funding and announcing it will disband in April 2009. This was despite the team, which helps protect vulnerable men, women and children who are sold or lured into the sex trade, slavery or illegal working, having several high profile convictions for trafficking since March 2007. Justice Secretary Jack Straw told the Commons yesterday he had reached agreement with the Met to jointly pay for the high profile team up until the next financial year - but long term funding was still being looked at. Home Office claimed 'money was one off' The Home Office had claimed the unit was never intended to continue, that the initial money was 'start up funding.' A spokesman said it would support the forces' effort through funding the UK Human Trafficking Centre with £1.7m this year. Yet a statement from the Met confirmed its unit will have to disband because it does not have the money to continue. City Hall debate Just 24 hours before Straw's announcement the London Assembly passed a motion condemning the closure of the UK's only specialist unit - it welcomed the restored budget London was now being seen as ‘a major gateway’ for human trafficking into Britain, says the Assembly. UNICEF estimates 5,000 child prostitutes are in the UK, many having been ‘trafficked’ in. 'Very distressing' Speaking to the BBC, Christine Beddoe, director of End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking UK said the Met's unit is the only specialist one in the country and its mandate stretches beyond London. She said: "London is the gateway for human trafficking. This team has had some landmark cases and it is irresponsible to suddenly withdraw funds at this critical time."
Recent convictions
The confusion over the future of the unit came despite it securing several high profile convictions. In November a prostitution ring was smashed after a Hendon 'Madame' who bought smuggled women and pimped them out for hundred of thousands of pounds was jailed. There was also a 52 year prison sentence for an Eastern European gang who 'sold' and sexually abused a 16-year-old Slovakian girl.
|
