Connartys Campaign On Human Trafficking Laws Successful.

Michael Connartys campaign for the UK to sign up to new EU laws combating human trafficking is successful.

CAMPAIGNING MPs DEFEAT EUROSCEPTICS AS GOVERNMENT SIGNS UP TO EU HUMAN TRAFFICKING LAWS AND MICHAEL CONNARTY URGES MPs TO BACK THEM UP

Linlithgow and East Falkirk MP, Michael Connarty, Scotland’s leading parliamentary campaigner against human trafficking, who pressured the Prime Minister to sign up to new EU laws to combat it, welcomed the government’s conversion to the cause in the Commons on Monday.

Mr. Connarty, who has twice tackled David Cameron on human trafficking at PMQs said, “I once asked the PM about his moral compass in relation to this issue, and it seems that our collective moral compass has come through the magnetic storm of Euroscepticism and out the other side pointing in the right direction.”

He reminded the House why the Directive was necessary for all parts of the UK by referring to the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland who recently reported that he had notice of between 80 and 200 cases of child trafficking over 18 months. “For a small country like Scotland, that is a lot. If the figure were extrapolated for the UK, the number would be massive. There is a lot of trafficking going on that we have yet to find out about. Some of it might be to reunite families; some of it might be for benefit fraud; some of it might be for exploitation through cheap labour or begging; and some of it might be for other, more nasty reasons, including sexual exploitation and abuse.

“Yet there were only 8 successful prosecutions for people trafficking in England last year. And only a quarter of police forces have proper child protection units running, so we have a long, long way to go.”

Michael Connarty also urged fellow MPs to back up the new laws with their own activity. “I have received information from contacts throughout the EU. It is important that when we get round Europe, we make contacts, recognise the scale of the problem and see it as a European problem and one that is wider than the EU,” he said. “When Members who are listening to the debate are in contact with parliamentarians in other parts of Europe and beyond, they should talk about the need to come together to shut down that network and protect the people who are exploited from country to country. That will defend the people on our streets and in our communities much more than we can do it alone.”

“We should realise that, if we can support the victims and separate them from the traffickers, we can deal with the traffickers better. It is a massive money-making operation exploiting women as they have been exploited for generations, but now that is transnational and it is right that we do something about it.”