The London Assembly today condemned a Home Office decision to cut more than £2million from the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit, and called on both the Home Office and the Mayor to find the funding to keep the unit going.
Members unanimously agreed an amended motion1 that praised the work of the unit and highlighted its important role, given London’s position as the gateway for human trafficking into the UK.
Jenny Jones AM, who proposed the original motion, said: "Human trafficking is a hidden evil that affects women and children and any decision to cut funding is wrong. UNICEF estimates 5000 child sex workers are in the UK and many of them have been trafficked. It is essential that the Home Office and the Mayor keep this effective unit open."
Kit Malthouse AM, who proposed the amended motion, said: "Until the Home Office rethinks its position on human trafficking and establishes a clear message, the Met will not be able to do its job properly. Human trafficking and prostitution cannot be handled as separate issues. I have campaigned relentlessly over the years on the issue of prostitution and I am committed to making sure that human trafficking is high on the Home Secretary’s agenda."
The amended motion in full reads as follows:
"This Assembly congratulates the Metropolitan Police’s human trafficking unit on its work since being set up in March 2007, including the recent successful prosecution of a six-man gang for trafficking girls and women into the UK, where they were forced into prostitution.
This Assembly condemns the Home Office’s decision to cut £2.3m of funding to tackle human trafficking, which has put the future of the unit at risk. This Assembly recognises that in recent weeks the Home Secretary has made two conflicting announcements, firstly to cut funding and secondly to eradicate human trafficking and sex industry by criminalising those that pay for sex with a trafficked woman. The Assembly urges the Home Secretary to recognise her contradictory statements and restore funding for this important police function.
Recognising the unit’s important role as the only specialist operational anti-trafficking team in the country, and London’s position as a major gateway for human trafficking into the UK, this Assembly urges the Mayor to commit himself to keeping this unit open beyond 2010 as part of his budget discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service. These efforts should not include diverting funding from other anti-trafficking efforts. We therefore call on the Home Office to work with the Metropolitan Police to develop a long term funding strategy which will ensure the unit’s current and future existence."