Human Trafficking and Health in UK Public Policy

Signed:.. ~. Date: ~~/.q.1;tJ~.~.i.I.:. 2 Background: The issue of human trafficking has risen up international and national political agendas in the last decade. Existing evidence suggests that many trafficked people suffer from a range of health problems as a result of their experiences. This research sought to analyse how health was incorporated into the UK response to trafficking between 2000 and 20 IO. Methods: Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation at policy-relevant events and document collection. Data analysis was organised according to the principles of framework analysis. Results: Trafficking has been defined in the UK as a problem of organised immigration crime and the dominance of this definition has limited the extent to which health was incorporated into the national policy response. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) strategically used information about the health consequences of trafficking to support their arguments for the provision of support and protection to trafficked people. They did not use the information, however, to argue for health