Specially trained Border Force teams will be operating across airports and ports this summer to identify and protect potential victims of Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM) travelling to and from the UK.
The school summer holidays are when girls are at highest risk of being taken out of the country, so Border Force’s Safeguarding and Trafficking teams are targeting specific outbound flights to countries which practice FGM, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Dubai, Egypt and Turkey from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester Airports.
All members of the teams have been given specialist advanced training so they have the right skills to identify and deal sensitively with potential victims of FGM in sometimes complex situations.
If a victim of FGM is identified by the Safeguarding and Trafficking teams the case will be referred to a specialist team member, who will assume responsibility for the case, interviewing and referring them to partner agencies where appropriate.
Immigration and Security Minister, James Brokenshire, said:
“Female Genital Mutilation is a criminal offence and it is child abuse.
“Border Force officers have an important part to play in our drive to end FGM, both through gathering intelligence and action at the border.
“The school summer holidays are a time of particular risk for many girls. That is why we have teams of specially trained officers at major airports with the skills to identify and protect potential victims and stop the perpetrators.”
Border Force’s Safeguarding and Trafficking teams have been rolled out at all major ports across the UK – so that trained officers can help identify victims of FGM and those being trafficked across UK borders, disrupt organised criminal groups, collect intelligence and provide a point of expertise and guidance for frontline officers.
A team of 80 specialist officers at Heathrow has been operational since 1 April this year. Since June, 65 officers have been in place at Gatwick, with 21 at Manchester and 12 at the port of Harwich.
Border Force will be rolling out further specialist teams at Birmingham, London City and Stansted airports in September and to officers at ports in Calais and Dunkirk early next year.
Ingrid Smith, Assistant Director of Border Force at Gatwick said:
“Border Force officers, both in the UK and abroad, are working to provide crucial extra intelligence and carrying out additional checks to prevent FGM.
“The message we are sending with this intensification of operations is that the practice of FGM will not be tolerated in this country.”
