UK to work with Sri Lanka to root out human trafficking

The British Government says it will?work with Sri Lanka to root out human trafficking.

A new UK aid package of support will help eradicate human trafficking and child exploitation in the Commonwealth, as more countries commit to take action to help victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

The UK said it will work in Commonwealth countries such as Sri Lanka and Malawi to build the capacity of police forces and prosecutors to root out human trafficking and rapidly increase the number of convictions to punish the perpetrators.

“Human trafficking, forced labour and child exploitation are cruel and horrendous crimes that no one should suffer. The UK is leading the world in tackling this form of abuse through the ground-breaking Modern Slavery Act 2015, which ensures victims are identified and supported and provides law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to bring perpetrators to justice,” UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd said.

The UK is to allocate??2 million to strengthen law enforcement and justice systems in fighting human trafficking in India, Sri Lanka, Malawi and Zambia. This will develop and implement national policing strategies; raise criminal justice standards on trafficking, and boost the protection of victims.

The UK is also allocating??500,000 to support tough new legislation to prevent and tackle human trafficking and forced labour in nine Commonwealth countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, and Sri Lanka ? and supporting the scrutiny and oversight of the response to human trafficking. (Colombo Gazette)