Following last night’s (Tuesday 31st January 2017 at 10pm) programme on Channel 4, which exposed the evil trafficker who held vulnerable Vietnamese immigrants and forced them to work in his beauty shop, beauty industry association BABTAC has long held major concerns regarding modern slavery.
The documentary highlighted the vulnerability of non-English speaking immigrants desperate to work encountering people like Hong Chuong Dang who exploit them for his own gain, in this case the 16 year old boy didn’t even know where he was and that he might be entitled to more than just pocket money.
Lesley Blair, Vice-Chair, The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) comments:
“In 2013, we worked closely with The Times to support their story highlighting the extent of Human Trafficking in our industry, and we also made a subsequent submission to the consultation on a Human Trafficking Bill lead by Jenny Marra MSP. This story highlights that despite the high risk our industry represents, little has changed in just over three years, and the low barriers to entry including low start-up costs and a lack of formal regulation mean that our industry is still targeted by unscrupulous criminals.”
She continues “As well as highlighting ways to identify possible human trafficking and encouraging industry professionals and consumers to report possible cases to their local police or to Crimestoppers, we also drafted and have lobbied for a simple, cost-effective licensing system that reduces the likelihood of human trafficking, without adding extra significant costs for legitimate therapists. Not only would the regulatory model that we propose considerably reduce the likelihood of human trafficking, but it will also help to make the wider industry more transparent and accountable, a key shortcoming that is regularly highlighted by the media.”
As part of their on-going campaign for industry self-regulation, BABTAC continues to lobby the government, promoting an industry-wide model, as well as contributing to specific incidents such as human trafficking. Whilst the organisation cannot actively provide support for victims, BABTAC is still working to raise awareness of the problem through their magazine and website, as well as driving for industry regulation or self-regulation. The human trafficking campaign specifically, encourages customers and beauty professionals to look out for typical trafficking signs including:
The organisation is also encouraging the public to check whether their therapist is qualified, verified, and insured. At BABTAC, they ask for a therapist’s qualifications, check whether they are reputable and valid and then provide insurance. When visiting a salon, ask to see their certificates and check if they have insurance. If they can’t produce them or don’t have any, steer clear; this is good advice regardless of the origin of the therapist and will help keep you safe.
Anyone concerned about potential trafficking victims should contact their local police or Crimestoppers.