Scottish Churches Anti-Human Trafficking Group team up with United Nations to highlight the problem
Thousands of people in Edinburgh have signed a petition calling for an end to human trafficking.
Ministers from the Scottish Churches Anti-Human Trafficking Group canvassed for signatures during the popular Edinburgh Festival, calling on fashion retailers not to sell clothes made by people who have been forced into slave labour.
The Rev Carol Ford of St Margaret’s Church and the Right Rev Dr Angus Morrison, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland led the group to collect 4,000 signatures at St Andrew's and St George's West Church on George Street and at the Pleasance.
The ministers teamed up with United Nations Stop the Traffik initiative, which placed two large, brightly coloured walk-in gift boxes created to symbolise trafficking.
The boxes show the people traffickers promise of a new and exciting life may not be what it first appears. Inside the box the walls are dark and adorned with information and harrowing first-hand accounts and pictures from victims.
It is clear there are people living in Edinburgh who do not realise that trafficking happens in Scotland
Rev Ford said many people she spoke to, over the five days she was collecting signatures, were unaware that people trafficking happened in cities across Scotland.
Her aim is to put an end to the practice and introduce a living wage, proper contacts and guaranteed freedom of movement.
“It is clear there are people living in Edinburgh who do not realise that trafficking happens in Scotland – there is a lack of awareness about the local context of it,” she said.
“Sometimes sex workers are taken from one part of the country to another, particularly if traffickers have been found out.
“They have access to migrants in Calais in France where they are setting up camp and bringing them into Britain or countries close by.”
Dr Morrison added: “We call on Britain’s governments to do all that they can to encourage retailers to examine their sources very carefully.
“We hope people will like and share a short video (above) we’ve created on the Church of Scotland website to help raise awareness. It’s already been played more than a thousand times on Facebook since we posted it at the weekend.”
Rev Ford is continuing to collect signatures and has made the petition available at St Margaret’s Church. An event discussing human trafficking is to be held at St John's Church on Princes Street, Edinburgh on August 28.
Meanwhile, another initiative has seen the Salvation Army join the Scottish Churches Anti-Human Trafficking Group to set up market stalls selling ‘people’ as commodities across Edinburgh during the festival.
The dramatisation is based on the real life stories of victims.
Hazel Watson, convener of the Scottish Churches Anti-Human Trafficking Group, said: “This drama, shocking as it is itself, is a way of highlighting the reality of human trafficking that is far more shocking.
“We can all play our part in efforts to combat this horrendous crime.”
The two organisations have contributed to the human trafficking and exploitation (Scotland) bill, which is currently going through the Scottish Parliament.
It will create a specific offence of human trafficking for the first time as well as increase the maximum penalty for offenders to life imprisonment.
