Feminist Review: Anti-trafficking legislation – protection or deportation?
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Raids arrests and prosecutions
BBC News: Soho sex workers speak out against ‘clean up’
By Jon Silverman In November 2002 the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, told a London conference Britain was facing a growing threat from Balkan crime gangs, who make vast profits by smuggling – whether guns, drugs, or women destined for the sex trade. The following month two Albanian cousins were given long jail sentences for living […]
The Guardian: Letter – anti-trafficking laws hurt women
Your cover story (Review, last week) repeats misinformation aimed at promoting new anti-trafficking laws. An unbiased look would spot that such laws would remove the requirement for the victim to give evidence against her abuser, thus enabling her immediate deportation. The use of anti-trafficking as a means for deportation was exposed in last year’s Soho […]
Refugee Women’s News: Anti-trafficking legislation – protection or deportation
In many countries, including Britain, governments are introducing legislation against trafficking under the guise of protecting women from violence and exploitation. Feminists have initiated or supported such moves, and few have cared to look at what their effect is on the women they are supposed to protect. Recent police and immigration raids are telling. On […]
Economist: Letter – protecting prostitutes
You report claims that the Albanian Mafia has taken over Soho (“SoHopeless”, June 23rd). This is a government fabrication aimed at justifying a police clampdown on prostitute women there and laying the basis for anti trafficking legislation that would increase police powers at women’s expense. In 1999, we successfully opposed attempts by Westminster Council to […]
Statement: Response to ‘Setting the Boundaries – Reforming the Law on Sex Offences’
Vulnerable women need protection, not deportationEnglish Collective of Prostitutes response toSetting the Boundaries, Reforming the Law on Sex OffencesWe oppose the introduction of a specific trafficking offence. We oppose the introduction of a new offence of trafficking. The recent police and immigration raids on over 50 flats in Soho leave no doubt that trafficking is being […]
Setting the Boundaries – reforming the law on sex offences (2000)
The ECP submitted evidence to the 2000 Government consultation: Setting the Boundaries, Reforming the law on sex offences. We opposed a new offence of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation as, based on the experience of women in our network, anti-trafficking laws are systematically used – not to protect victims – but to arrest […]
The Guardian: Letter – law violates sex workers
We condemn last week’s police and immigration raid on women working in Soho as a violation of human and legal rights (Foreign bodies, Women, G2, February 20). In the name of “protecting” women from trafficking, about 40 women, including a woman from Iraq, were arrested, detained and in some cases summarily removed from Britain. If […]
Press Release: Emergency protest against mass deportations
TRAFFICKING AS AN EXCUSE FOR DEPORTATIONEmergency protest against mass deportations1-2pm Home Office, Queen Anne’s Gate, London, 16 February 2001Yesterday the police raided over 50 flats in Soho and arrested approximately 60 women. Over 35 women, some are mothers, are being held and immigration authorities are threatening to deport them in the next few days. Police said […]
Statement: Stop Midland Murders – Stop Police Sweeps
STOP THE SERIAL KILLER/S – STOP POLICE SWEEPS At least six women have been murdered this year in the Midlands and North of England, the last two in July — four have been labeled as prostitutes by the police. The police have responded not with protection of women, but with street sweeps -stepping up the […]