Businesses across West Lothian are being warned to stay alert to the signs of human trafficking amid fears that Brexit could lead to workers being exploited.
As October 31 looms ever closer the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) is advising businesses to stay vigilant as a decline in the migrant workforce may lead to an increase of human trafficking to fill gaps.
SBRC’s David MacCrimmon believes criminal gangs could infiltrate Scottish businesses and make money from people they put to work.
He said: “The UK is still seen as a desirable place to come for employment opportunities and this can lead to, as it has previously, criminal gangs exploiting people as they’re put to work, often in horrendous working and living conditions.
“We must open our eyes to this, not just the eyes of the public but the eyes of the business community. We need to be able to spot the signs of potential victims of human trafficking and know what to do and who to call should we encounter victims.
“Victims of human trafficking are often hidden in plain view and there are many examples of that, whether it has been cases of cleaners in large office blocks, workers in hand car washes in our towns and cities or those working on our high streets in nail bars and other shops.”
Figures released earlier this year showed that 692 human trafficking crimes have been detected by police across Scotland since 2015.
There was a 42 per cent increase in trafficking-related referrals from 2016 to 2018 yet a survey from the Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy revealed that 54 per cent of people do not believe it is an issue in their area.
Mr MacCrimmon said that hiding human trafficking victims in plain sight can also mean moving them around different locations.
He said: “We associate moving victims about with smuggling and the two are entirely different things.
“Yes, sometimes victims of trafficking are moved about from place to place in cars, vans and trucks but often this is done in plain sight too.
“Many victims of trafficking can simply be told to go from one destination to another by bus or train.
“They are often given tickets to do so and frequently there will be someone to meet them at the other end to take control of them.
“This control can be through fear and intimidation, through threats of violence or actual violence or simply as part of a debt.
“Human trafficking is not just a crime. It’s a human rights violation and we need to do our bit to support the victims.”
Signs of human trafficking can include appearance of neglect and physical neglect, signs of poor nutrition, being withdrawn or submissive, having old injuries or being vague about how the injury occurred.
They might also be working excessive hours or have a distrust of people in uniform.
