Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is accusing the government of sanctioned child trafficking.

The scheme saw more than 100,000 children transported to colonies like New Zealand and Australia, spanning from the 1920s to 1974.

UK correspondent Ben Bland told Tim Dower the ex-PM said some were sent without the consent of their parents, and told they'd become orphans.

He said Mr Brown is now calling for the children to be compensated

The sex abuse suffered by child migrants was the UK's "worst sex abuse scandal" in terms of the number who suffered and the length of time such abuse went unchecked, Brown said.

The child sexual abuse inquiry is examining the sexual, physical and emotional abuse suffered by children sent to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Rhodesia up to the 1970s.

Brown said the scheme, under which around 130,000 children who were in care or whose parents couldn't keep them were sent overseas, was a "gross violation of human rights".

LISTEN ABOVE AS UK CORRESPONDENT GORDON BROWN SPEAKS TO TIM DOWER ON EARLY EDITION