Domestic Law (England and Wales)

New measures against trafficking for the purposes of prostitution were introduced in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. S. 145 covers the offences of arranging or facilitating the arrival, travel or departure of a person in the UK.

The penalties for these offences are up to 14 years imprisonment.

The new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act introduced the offence of trafficking for the purpose of prostitution.  This new offence carries a tough maximum penalty of 14 years.  This is a very heavy penalty that exceeds the 8 years specified in the EU framework decision and is the same as for drug trafficking

The new offence is a stop gap measure to address the worst forms of exploitation, pending the introduction of more comprehensive legislation.  The new Sexual Offences Bill, sets out new wide-ranging offences covering trafficking for sexual exploitation.  These include a new offence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a child, which will protect children up to 18.  It covers a range of offences, including buying the sexual services of a child, (for which the penalty ranges from 7 years to life depending on the age of the child); and causing, facilitating or controlling the commercial sexual exploitation of a child in prostitution or pornography, for which the maximum penalty will be 14 years imprisonment.[1] 

The government is also committed to introducing legislation against the trafficking of people for the purposes of labour exploitation by July 2004.[2]