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| No love for Vietnamese kids |
New figures have shown that 40 per cent of the 262 children registered by the Scottish Guardianship Service (SGS) – which helps young people through welfare and asylum processes – since 2011 were victims of trafficking.
Thirty-two child trafficking cases came to the attention of Scottish authorities in 2015, up from just nine in 2011.
Another 20 cases have already been reported to the SGS so far this year.
However, seven of the victims have since disappeared, prompting speculation that they were recaptured by their traffickers.
A government spokesperson said: “Those who take part in the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people bring misery and long-term harm to their victims.
“New legislation came into force this year that makes it more straightforward for our law enforcement agencies to take action.
“However, we know legislation alone won’t stop trafficking which is why we are working with others including Police Scotland and the Crown Office to raise awareness of these appalling crimes, and to identify perpetrators and disrupt their activity.”
A quarter of those trafficked over the period were forced into the sex industry and another 25 per cent were made to work on cannabis farms.
More than half of all victims came from Vietnam, mirroring Counter Human Trafficking Bureau figures from last year that estimated there were around 3,000 Vietnamese children forced into servitude in the UK.
Children make up almost 25 per cent of the estimated 13,000 victims of human trafficking in the UK every year, with Vietnamese children making up the largest group. (more...)
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