Every child entering the UK should have their biometrics taken in an attempt to stop the trafficking of children for sex, domestic slavery, street crime and drug smuggling.

The plan to track children after they enter the UK comes in a Home Office-sponsored study, which admits that human trafficking is now a “real and significant threat” to the country.

Children were being forced to work in cannabis factories, beg on the streets, turned into domestic “slaves” and drawn into the sex trade and benefit fraud, the report says. “The exercise has shown that child trafficking is a nationwide concern as it affects almost all parts of the United Kingdom.”

The study says that the extent of child trafficking is unknown because of its hidden nature, and that efforts to tackle the issue are patchy and lack focus. “The recognition that there are significant concerns about child trafficking and exploitation of children in the UK suggests a more coordinated and consistent approach must be adopted,” it says.

“There is a general lack of understanding, capacity, resources, will and clarity surrounding the procedures and responsibilities of agencies in each sector.”

The study adds that there is a lack of interagency work on the problem, and that many agencies are unable to identify cases of child trafficking and take action.

A total of 330 cases of suspected or confirmed child victims of traffickers were identified, with most coming from China and Africa. The top five source countries for children brought to the UK were China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

According to the report by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, organised gangs, including those linked to the drugs and sex industries, were profiting from child trafficking.

Traffickers from Albania and China appear to be the most sophisticated. They had links to other crimes, including counterfeiting identification papers, drugs manufacturing and prostitution rings in the UK and Italy. “Trafficking for domestic servitude is often carried out by extended families that bring over children from source countries in order to look after their children and family members,” the study says.

Most of the victims were girls, with many entering Britain through airports to work in the sex trade or as bonded domestic servants.

The study gives warning that in light of increased controls at Heathrow, Gatwick and Dover, the traffickers are switching to smaller entry points such as Glasgow, Belfast, Doncaster and Stansted airports and at ports in Hull and Gravesend.

Most of the children profiled in the study were aged between 14 and 17, but several were under 12 and the youngest was a nine-month-old baby.

Chinese boys aged between 13 and 17 were identified as a specific group being trafficked, while Vietnamese boys and girls were also highlighted as a vulnerable group that had been particularly exploited in cannabis production.

“The cannabis factories that have been raided highlight the highly organised business of cannabis cultivation in this country,” the study says. “Houses have been transformed into highly efficient industrial cannabis production works using technical knowledge.

“People from Vietnam are transported over in debt bondage to work in these factories. Debt bondage is symptomatic of trafficking activity, as it is used by traffickers to maintain control over their victims.”

The report also said that the UK may be being used by traffickers as a transit country and that there is some evidence of the enforced movement of children around the UK. It also expresses alarm over the safety of trafficked children who are placed in the care of local authorities, with over half of those in the study simply disappearing.

The Home Office said: “We welcome this report as a starting point to help police and law enforcement organisations such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency and us to better understand the phenomenon of child trafficking and plan our response.”

Points of origin

China Sexual exploitation, working in restaurants, drug dealing, domestic servitude. Majority reported to be alone on arrival in the UK

Western Africa Girls are trafficked into sexual exploitation, with others placed in domestic servitude. Also drug trafficking, labour exploitation. Usually trafficked in with an adult

Eastern Africa Domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, benefit fraud. Usually trafficked into UK with an adult

Vietnam Boys and girls found being exploited in cannabis factories while others were trafficked for sexual exploitation

Eastern Europe and Russia Women for sexual exploitation plus boys for begging

Afghanistan Boys eager to work rather than go to school because they need to “pay back” funds. Trend of trafficking into West Midlands, where there is a known Afghan community

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