Trafficked children 'should remain'

A system of renewable residence permits should be introduced for youngsters rescued from such abuse, said the study by Unicef and children's rights organisation Ecpat (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes).

Being handed a permit should not depend on co-operating with police, added the report.

The Government's current system of granting discretionary leave to remain in Britain to children who had claimed asylum after being trafficked was described by the authors as a "short-term solution".

The report said: "A renewable residence permit would secure a legal status for children who had been trafficked and would acknowledge the extent of the human rights abuse and provide the necessary environment in which a child could begin to make a physical and mental recovery.

"It should meet victim's needs and should not be granted in exchange for co-operation with the law-enforcement authorities.

"The length of the permit should be compatible with the best interests of the child."

Earlier this year the Government said 330 child victims of trafficking had been identified over an 18-month period.

The report said it was currently impossible to say what the total figure would be, but that most children came from east Asia and Africa.

It also called on ministers to set up a mechanism to collect and analyse information on trafficked children, who are often destined for the sex trade, or work as domestic slaves or in sweatshops.