Vietnamese children trafficked to Scotland and forced to work in “pop up” brothels

Children being trafficked to Scotland are also being made to work in nail bars, car washes and the hospitality industry.

Vietnamese children are being trafficked into Scotland and sexually abused, the Daily Record can reveal.

Shock statistics show that since 2020, Police Scotland has received 342 case referrals where south-east Asian ­youngsters have been kept in slavery.

Thirty-one cases involve children being sexually exploited, usually through prostitution or escort work. They are often made to work in flats or “pop-up” brothels.

Data released via a freedom of information request by Police Scotland show most cases since 2020 were in Edinburgh with 74, Glasgow with 72 and Ayrshire with 49. In the first six months of this year there were 19 child trafficking cases, with three linked to sexual exploitation.

Victims can be forced to work in cannabis farms, nail bars and car washes. Others are made to cook and clean for Vietnamese families.

Karen Miller, of the anti-slavery charity Restore Glasgow, said: “We are horrified to see these latest figures.

“As a Glasgow-based anti-trafficking charity we are naturally aware that ­trafficking happens under our noses all the time, but it’s still shocking to ­contemplate the figures when you remember that each of these numbers is a frightened, exploited child.

“Vietnam is one of the top two source countries for victims of trafficking in the UK, supplying unwilling workers to ubiquitous dodgy nail bars and the cannabis industry.

“Cynical trafficking gangs will recruit people from rural areas, including children, because they lack the education and street smarts to understand the danger of these ‘job offers’.”

Karen added: “What is most horrifying is seeing that Vietnamese children are also being sexually exploited.

“This is the sad truth of the prostitution industry – most victims are first ­prostituted when they are still children, because their age makes them ­particularly vulnerable.

“People, including children, can be excluded from receiving support after trafficking, on public order grounds, because of convictions for crimes they were forced to commit. We would like to see less posturing and instead see the ­government engage in the difficult work of combating the international gangs that drive the trafficking.”

Trafficking expert Kieran Walsh says organised crime groups are often behind the scandal. From 2017 to 2022, he served as a manager for the Salvation Army’s Anti-Trafficking and Modern Slavery ­Operations department where he encountered victims.

Kieran said: “The trafficking of ­Vietnamese people, both children and adults, has been going on for a ­considerable time as evidenced by your figures.

“Vietnamese organised crime groups can be quite ruthless in how they carry out their activities in trafficking children for illegal and immoral purposes, Either through forced labour or sexual exploitation.”

He says the ­Vietnamese crime groups will bring the children into Europe where local organised crime groups including those from Britain will take over.

He says trafficked ­children often end up working illegally in the ­hospitality industry in kitchens.

Others can be made to work in the construction industry or for removal and logistics firms.

Those made to work in cannabis farms are normally unable to leave while they grow the plants.

He said: “The whole aim to the criminal is to reduce the risk to them of being captured.

“Unfortunately the young people who are brought into the UK are used as the front and the person who will be detained by the police.”

Kieran also says that trafficked children in Scotland are often made to work on fishing boats or in remote hospitality locations.

He added: “They will be made to provide labour where labour is short. It is a very similar picture across the UK.”

Joy Gillespie, chief executive of the Survivors of Human Trafficking in ­Scotland charity, explained that the ­organisation is working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Crown Office to raise awareness of the plight of victims of all ages.

Joy said: “Most victims of trafficking are exploited for many purposes including sex, labour, crime and domestic servitude.

“It is unusual for victims to be only used for one purpose whether they are children or adults.”

Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of national children’s charity, Children First said: “These figures are deeply concerning, but what’s more troubling is they may just be the tip of the iceberg. We don’t have a grasp of the true scale of child criminal exploitation in Scotland and gathering clear data is an urgent priority to ensure the right resources are put into tackling it. “Behind these numbers are children who are living through a nightmare of exploitation, coercion and abuse and without protection, the impact on them will be long-lasting and devastating.

“Every child in Scotland who needs it should have access to specialist help to heal and recover.

“I would urge anyone worried about a child to contact Children First’s confidential support line on 08000 28 22 33. If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police straight away.”