Child Trafficking

An investigation by BBC 5 Live has revealed that 239 unaccompanied, asylum-seeking children went missing from care in England and Wales in 2015, leading to speculation that some were under the control of organised trafficking gangs. Many of the kids disappeared after being smuggled into the UK. Experts say the trafficking gangs have a detailed knowledge of how the care system works and they instruct their victims what to do if they are discovered and placed with foster parents or in a reception centre. It is believed that some of the young people will end up being trafficked to cannabis farms, the sex industry or sweatshops.