Human trafficking is defined by Police Scotland as: "the illegal trade and exploitation of human beings". It is a serious problem across Scotland, including Grampian. Healthcare staff are often the first people to become aware that a person has been trafficked and are therefore amongst the first people who are able to help them. However, it is not just healthcare staff who may become aware that a person has been trafficked, the general public also have a valuable role to play.

Below is a brief description of two of the main types of trafficking and the signs which Police Scotland say we should all look out for:

 

Sexual exploitation

It is mostly women who are trafficked for the purposes of prostitution. The indicators of sexual exploitation are:

• Women who may be non-English speaking and who are never on their own but always have a "minder" who insists on being with them all of the time they are outside and always speaks for them. The woman may appear anxious or afraid of the minder.
• Women who have mostly sexually explicit clothing.
• Women who work long hours but never have any money or are seen  handing cash over to others.
• Evidence of sexual or physical abuse.
• Appearing withdrawn and timid.
• Unexplained injuries.
• A reluctance to give details of where they live and any personal information.
• Disorientation. Women are frequently moved location to location to prevent them from making friendships which may help them to escape.
• An appearance of general physical neglect.

If these indicators are present, the Police should be called immediately. Do not expect a trafficked person to tell you they are a victim of trafficking, it can often take more than a week until the person, supported by experts in this field, feels safe and able to explain what has happened to them.

Labour exploitation

People are often brought into the country, either legally or illegally, by groups or organisations, who then charge them a massive "transport" fee and sky high interest rates. The person is "bonded" to the debt and can end up working for many years for nothing, just bed and board to pay off the debt. Things people should look for are:

• Injuries from doing work which people are not trained or competent to perform
• Persons speaking on their behalf
• Documents held by someone else
• Vagueness about home or work address and immigration status
• Evidence of physical abuse
• Appearing withdrawn and timid
• An appearance of general physical neglect

Again, If these indicators are present, the Police should be called immediately.

 

Trafficked children

Children can be trafficked for either sexual or labour exploitation or both. The Police treat all cases of child trafficking as child abuse. Again, if this is suspected the police should be contacted immediately.

A copy of the Police Scotland Leaflet: "Human Trafficking Reading the Signs" is available on the Police Scotland website.

Supplies in hard copy format are also available by contacting:

Roda Bird
Interim Equality and Diversity Manager
Email: roda.bird@nhs.scot 
Phone: 01224 551116

Published: 08/08/2023 11:52