UK police and border security have signed a new agreement with US
counterparts to share intelligence about female genital
mutilation (FGM) and are joining together in operations at UK and
US airports.
The agreement will see various US agencies (including the FBI and
Department of Homeland Security) and UK agencies (including NPCC
and Border Force) share intelligence about travel patterns
between the UK and US and other parts of the world where victims
may be taken for the procedure. They will share
intelligence about trends in the practice and information on live
cases as well as jointly debriefing cases to build both
countries’ knowledge of FGM and learn lessons from each
other.
Officers will be at Heathrow, JFK Airport and the Eurostar
stations as part of week of operations, targeting inbound flights
from countries of prevalence seeking to identify where FGM may
already have taken place or is planned. They will act on
intelligence as well as talking to passengers about the law
around FGM and the harm inflicted on victims, and giving them
advice about how to report concerns. They will also be on the
look out for signs of forced marriage, trafficking and child
abuse. Further locations for operations also include Gatwick,
Manchester and Luton airports.
FGM Protection Orders, which protect actual or potential victims
from FGM under civil law, have been granted 220 times since their
introduction in 2015 to the end of March 2018. A pilot is
underway by the Ministry of Justice and the National Police
Chiefs’ Council to improve the efficiency of FGM Protection
Orders.
The agreement has been signed by Commander Ivan Balhatchet from
the UK and Deputy Assistant Director Louis Rodi from the US,
amongst others.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead on Female Genital
Mutilation, Commander Ivan Balhatchet, said:
“FGM is a barbaric and violent crime enacted on girls who suffer
the results for the rest of their lives. It is child abuse, and
no religion, culture or tradition should be allowed to mitigate
or make an excuse for such appalling crimes. It is even more
traumatic because it is generally committed or facilitated by
their families who they should look to for love and
protection.
“FGM is hugely complex to investigate and
prosecute. Frequently, the survivor is unwilling to give
evidence against those closest to them, and some cases of FGM
occur prior to the arrival of the survivor in the UK.
“The US shares our goal of eradicating FGM but faces the same
challenges. This agreement will help both the UK
and US learn more about FGM, the routes taken by
perpetrators and when and where it is committed; this is
particularly important because we know that perpetrators continue
to adapt to evade detection. We also want this agreement and
our joint operations to send a signal those planning to commit
FGM that we will do everything we can to protect girls and
prosecute offenders.
“FGM is not something we cannot eradicate alone. We need
everyone who works with children and young people to be alert to
signs of FGM, speak out and share information with us.”
Louis Rodi, Deputy Assistant Director, National Security
Investigation Division, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations
said:
“Our agency is committed to pursuing those who
commit or allow female genital mutilation. Through outreach and
investigations, we will work to eradicate this form of
abuse.
“We value our partnerships with UK law enforcement as well as
with other US federal agencies, including the FBI and US Customs
and Border Protection. This collaboration strengthens our resolve
to carry out this important work to protect women and girls and
investigate crimes against them.”
Immigration Minister, , said:
“FGM is a abhorrent crime that no woman or girl
should ever have to suffer, and this Government is taking
world-leading action to tackle it.
“We have significantly strengthened the law on FGM, including
introducing a new offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM,
extending the reach of extra territorial offences, and creating
civil FGM Protection Orders to ensure we are able to protect
women and girls at the earliest opportunity.
“The partnership with our US counterparts recognises that FGM is
a global issue that transcends borders. As well as enforcement,
we continue to raise awareness of this harmful practice through
safeguarding operations such as Operation Limelight which sees
police and Border Force proactively engage individuals travelling
to or from the UK to countries where FGM is prevalent.
“Corresponding operations at Heathrow, JFK and other major hubs
as part of Operation Limelight is a sign of our commitment to
ending this barbaric practice internationally.”
Barnardo's Chief Executive, Javed Khan, said:
"We know the pressure for girls to undergo female
genital mutilation very often comes from family members overseas,
and results in children being flown abroad so it can take place.
The National FGM Centre, run in partnership with Barnardo’s and
the Local Government Association, works with affected communities
in the UK to prevent this procedure.
“It is vital agencies across the world work together to protect
girls from this type of abuse, which is why the signing of this
intelligence sharing agreement between the UK and the US is so
important.
“It drives home the message that FGM and other harmful practices
are treated seriously, not just in the UK but also in the States
and we will take the necessary steps to end these unacceptable
and illegal practices.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The commitment on August 30 was signed by the
following bodies: UK National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), UK
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), UK Border Force, UK Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS), UK British Transport Police (BTP), US
Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security
Investigations), US Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of
Investigations), US Department of Homeland Security (US Customers
and Border Protection), and the US Department of State.
Please click here for official
photographs from the signing.
The FGM Protection Orders pilot began on the 23 July 2018 and
will end in January 2019. Figures collated by the Ministry of
Justice show Protection Orders can be found here.
