Monday, 4 April 2016

News: Child survivors of Nepal earthquake ‘being sold’ in the UK

Home Secretary Theresa May has urged police to investigate claims child survivors of the Nepal Earthquake are being sold to British families. Slave traders are selling youngsters made homeless in last year's tragedy to UK Asian families as unpaid domestic servants, according to an investigation by The Sun. The newspaper's undercover team said they were offered orphans and destitute children by gangs in Punjab for £5,250. Slave trader Makkhan Singh lined up youngsters for the reporters to pick from, and said: "We have supplied lads who have gone on to the UK. Most of the ones who are taken to England are Nepalese.

"For the supply of a boy, minimum 500,000 rupees (around £5,250). Then you will have other costs associated with taking him to the UK, but that's your responsibility extra to what you pay us.

"Take a Nepalese to England. They are good people. They are good at doing all the housework and they're very good cooks. No-one is going to come after you." Mrs May said the findings were "disturbing" and urged police and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate. "Child trafficking is a truly abhorrent crime," she said. "No child, anywhere in the world, should be taken away from their home and forced to work in slavery." An NCA spokesman told Sky News: "The NCA works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify and pursue criminals and to safeguard both child and adult victims.Sky News