Authority Urged To Sign Up To Help Fight Against Humand Trafficking

Safe houses and support for victims of human trafficking could soon be established in Aberdeen. The city council is being urged to sign a declaration aimed at addressing the growing global social problem – described as modern-day slavery.

Councillors will today decide whether the authority should embrace the Council of Europe’s Declaration on the Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

If it does, it will join Inverclyde as the only two Scots council signatories.

Members of the policy and strategy committee have been told that is only a matter of time before the illicit practice of buying and selling people, mostly into the sex trade, is uncovered in the Granite City.

Michelle Lowe of Amnesty International estimates that there are “dozens if not hundreds” of victims of human trafficking in Scotland, so taking steps to combat the problem could only be a good thing.

She added that Home Office figures state there are around 4,000 women working in the sex industry against their will across the UK.

Signing the declaration, which comes during what is the 200th anniversary year of the abolition of British Empire slavery, would ensure that women who have been forced to prostitute themselves would be treated as victims and not merely deported if they were illegal immigrants.

City council officials are concerned the massive and ever-growing migrant population in the north-east could fuel the trade, which is notoriously difficult to monitor because of its hidden nature.

Writing in a report to the committee, community safety strategist Leslie Brown said: “It should be noted that there are cases of human trafficking in Glasgow so this issue is likely to arise in the north-east in the near future and therefore arrangements need to be put in place.

“There is a real risk that if the council does not make arrangements to be able to protect victims, incidents will occur and there will be no arrangements in place to respond.”

The Council of Europe’s human trafficking campaign was launched last year under the slogan “human being – not for sale”.

It aims to raise awareness among governments, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities of the extent of the problem of trafficking in human beings in Europe today.

Alison Twaddle, general secretary of the Church of Scotland’s Guild which lobbied the UK Government to sign the declaration which it did recently, last night welcomed the news.

“Human trafficking is a global crime on a massive scale and a growing problem in Scotland.

“It is notoriously difficult to measure because it is an underground, hidden trade but people are slowly emerging.

“It is modern-day slavery because people are kidnapped or deceived into going to a country and the most shocking statistic is the amount of money that is generated from it.

“For example one woman is worth £104,000 over 18 months to the people who are controlling her in the sex trade.”

Martin Greig, chairman of the Sex Industry Forum, part of Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership, added: “It is possible that Aberdeen could be affected in the future which is very concerning. Even though the slave trade in the British Empire was abolished 200 years ago we need to continue out efforts to fight against exploitation.”