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UK to take new measures to stop human trafficking from Vietnam
  • | nld, dtinews.vn | February 28, 2015 09:49 PM
 >>  Vietnam, UK hold fourth strategic dialogue

Britain is looking at new laws to crackdown on human trafficking from Vietnam, which in recent weeks has seen highlighted by reports of young Vietnamese illegal immigrants forced to work on cannabis farms in the UK.

Foreign Office Minister for Asia Hugo Swire (left)

Foreign Office Minister for Asia Hugo Swire said a draft law to tackle human trafficking will be submitted to the UK parliament this year.

Swire, co-chairing the annual UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue, told a media conference yesterday (February 27) that many foreigners, including a large number of Vietnamese young men and boys, have been smuggled into the UK and forced to work on illegal cannabis farms.

The minister said human trafficking has been a problem in UK for years -- in 2014, 3,000 illegal immigrants had been deported, many of whom were being used by criminal rings and in the drug trade.

Swire said illegal immigrants from Vietnam were often victims of sophisticated criminal organisations, and his government preferred a humane approach to the trafficked, while going after the criminal gangs engaging in human trade.

He said the UK and Vietnam were working closely to break smuggling rings and raise awareness in rural communities about human trafficking.

The UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogueo discussed collaboration on measures to prevent modern slavery, cyber crime, money laundering, child exploitation, illegal immigration and human trafficking.

Young men and boys from Vietnam have reportedly ben trafficked to the UK to work on illegal cannabis farms. They came from disadvantaged and rural families and thought they would be given legitimate jobs, but instead were treated like slaves.

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