Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support children trafficked from abroad.

The Government recognises that children can be trafficked into this country from abroad as well as being internally trafficked. The Government does not differentiate between child victims of trafficking and has made it clear that nothing should get in the way of this incredibly vulnerable group of children receiving the support and assistance that they need as quickly as possible.

That is why the Government has brought into force provisions under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to ensure that if there is uncertainty over whether a potential victim of trafficking is a child or an adult, that person is presumed to be a child and receives the appropriate support without delay.

In July 2014 the Government published statutory guidance on the care of unaccompanied and trafficked children by local authorities. Statutory Guidance under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is currently being drafted and will set out the identification process of a child trafficking victim to ensure all competent bodies, including local authorities, understand what they should do to safeguard children.