Operation Limelight Context Multiagency Safeguarding operation at the
- Slides: 8
Operation Limelight
Context • Multi-agency Safeguarding operation at the UK Border • Tactical leads from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Essex, Kent, Norfolk, Scotland, Sussex, Warwickshire, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, BTP. • Three national weeks of action (2014, 2016, 2018) • Air, Sea and Trains • Op Limelight USA (14 US cities this year) • Contact made with Australia, Canada, New Zealand & Ireland • Sustained high profile media coverage (national and international)
Gold Strategy • To safeguard children, vulnerable young people and adults from ‘harmful practices’ (such as FGM, forced marriage, child abuse linked to faith or belief and breast ironing) and trafficking. • To bring to justice those who commit or facilitate such offences • To develop a more strategic and tactical response to international safeguarding issues, developing a ‘business as usual’ approach. • To enhance information/intelligence sharing with key strategic partners • To develop intelligence from partners and members of the public regarding where those who commit harmful practices and trafficking leave the UK, where they commit offences and re-enter the UK. • To proactively engage with the media to promote safeguarding operations and key messages with a focus on gaining support from affected communities.
Style and Tone • Safeguarding and identifying vulnerability is a priority • The right people with the right communication skills, powers and experience • Multi-agency • Active involvement of third sector specialists • Open and transparent with a strong focus on amplifying our message via the media • Learning from each other (i. e. hot debriefs after each flight) • An important part of the bigger picture (i. e. brings together disparate partners, catalyst for other activity).
US / UK Law Enforcement Proclamation
US / UK Law Enforcement Proclamation – stated aims: • Publicly state their intentional coordination in order to better identify perpetrators of FGM/C, including individuals who facilitate or otherwise assist in the perpetration of FGM/C, and better identify victims and potential victims of FGM/C residing in the U. S. and U. K. • Share intelligence about travel patterns, community-specific FGM/C practices (ages, seasons, types, terminology, rationale, where/how practiced (e. g. within the U. S. or U. K. , in native country), medicalization of FGM/C, and other relevant information in order to better focus limited resources and more accurately identify perpetrators and potential victims. • Share specific information concerning travel patterns and routes of victims or perpetrators between the U. S. and U. K. in order to ensure that travel between the U. K. and U. S. and travel from one of those countries to another country does not inhibit law enforcement activities. • Raise awareness that FGM/C does not happen in isolation of other criminality or harmful practices and facilitate enhanced joint working relationships between law enforcement agencies and civil society professionals on these harmful practices.
Debrief 2018 – What worked well? • Multi-agency teams, having third sector providers alongside us. Networking opportunity. • Handing out pens (West Mids) with supporting information inside them. Two were given out with one for the child and one for the child to give to their teacher to broaden their knowledge (good idea). • Cabin crew leaflet (West Mids) • BTP introducing FIO’s on Eurostar (focus on modern slavery and human trafficking – request for MPS to train them on HBA issues). • Joining up Operational and Strategic HBA leads. • Opportunity for Chief Officer support • Having leaflets / takeaways such as those from Barnardos, NSPCC, Home Office – more of these are needed.
Plans for 2019 • Forced Marriage focused Limelight in July 2019 • Two national (international) weeks of action in July and September • Involvement of wider range of stakeholders • National media • Possible expansion internationally to include B 5 countries.
