Trafficked Britons in Syria
Today around 20 British families remain detained in North East Syria (NES). Investigations by the NGO Reprieve suggest that the majority of British women currently detained are victims of trafficking, based on evidence that these women were all subjected to sexual and other forms of exploitation, and were either transported to Syria as children; coerced into travelling to Syria; or kept and moved within Syria against their will. Some of these women were as young as 12 when they were trafficked.
Despite the UK’s legal commitments and its reputation as a leader in the struggle against human trafficking, many of these trafficked women and children are now detained in NES detention camps, which have been described by the UN as ‘deplorable and inhumane’ and by UK courts as constituting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
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The All Party Parliamentary Group
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficked Britons in Syria is a cross-party grouping of MPs and peers seeking a just resolution to the cases of people from the UK who were trafficked by ISIS, and to secure the repatriation of the small number of Britons still detained in North East Syria (NES). It was established by the Right Honourable Andrew Mitchell MP, Lyn Brown MP, and Lord Jay of Ewelme in April 2021.
Its objectives are to:
· Ensure the UK Government fulfils its obligation to identify British nationals trafficked by ISIS;
· Prevent trafficking victims detained in NES from being subjected to torture and the death penalty;
· Secure the repatriation of trafficked Britons from NES, so their cases can be addressed in the UK;
· Investigate ISIS trafficking operations so the UK may prevent future trafficking by terror groups;
· Learn lessons from public authorities’ failure to identify and protect victims of ISIS trafficking;
· Promote more effective policy responses to trafficking by terrorist groups.
The APPG is run by Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It receives no money from any government. Secretariat functions are provided by the NGO Reprieve.
Chair: Alistair Carmichael MP
Co-Chair: Lord Jay of Ewelme
Vice-Chair: Apsana Begum MP
Vice-Chair: The Rt Hon David Davis MP
Members:
The Lord Alton of Liverpool
Andy Slaughter MP
The Lord Cashman CBE
The Rt Hon Lord Dholakia
The Lord Dubs
The Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP
Fabian Hamilton MP
The Baroness Hamwee
Jeff Smith MP
Jess Phillips MP
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Kim Leadbeater MP
Layla Moran MP
Lyn Brown MP
Lord Macdonald of River Glaven
Stuart C McDonald MP
The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP
The Rt Hon the Baroness Warsi
The Lord Wood of Anfield
For media inquiries, please contact +44 7464 162 554.