ROBERT BROWN CALLS FOR PLAN TO STOP SEX TRAFFICKING AT GAMES

12.00.00am GMT Sun 15th Nov 2009

Glasgow MSP Robert Brown has warned that the Commonwealth Games will bring huge numbers of women trafficked into Glasgow for sex unless the Scottish Government acts quickly to prevent the problem from growing out of control by 2014. He has asked several Parliamentary Questions about the Government's response to the problem.

Robert Brown said:

"The Government are far too complacent about this enormous problem. They seem to think it will only become an issue during the two weeks of the Games. They are wrong. The problem is here, now. Glasgow is thought to have the most significant problem of this sort outside London, and there appear to have been no successful prosecutions against the traffickers.

"Much has been said about the legacy of the Commonwealth Games but an inheritance of sexual exploitation, suffering and misery of the many women being trafficked to Glasgow is not what we want to leave behind.

"Even before 2014, development of the Commonwealth Games infrastructure will bring in many well paid construction workers and others, away from home for long periods of time, often with a high disposable income. These workers will increase the demand for prostitution hugely during the construction phase of the Games, attracting sex traffickers who will smuggle women in from Africa and Eastern Europe, and who will be forced against their will into prostitution. Often, the women are unaware of their rights and often have issues over their immigration status. Not surprisingly, it is difficult to get their co-operation with prosecutions.

"The Scottish Government's answers to my Parliamentary questions unfortunately show they have not ring-fenced any funds or manpower to tackle the problem of women being trafficked to Scotland. Nor have they done anything to identify and support women being trafficked here just now, far less to make preparations to stop this horrendous trade in human misery.

"In June, the Metropolitan Police in London announced a new dedicated officer team to deal with the increase in women trafficked for the Olympic Games. Here in Scotland, the SNP has set up a security group, which , amongst a variety of other issues, "will consider…human trafficking". There is no sense of urgency about this at all. It is action not deliberation that is needed if we are to tackle this problem now and stop it becoming a huge issue in 2014.

"The Government also need to get the cooperation of the public on this. Traffickers are becoming craftier, using flats in areas you wouldn't expect, all around the Glasgow area. One tactic they apparently use is to rent flats in expensive new developments as they can move out quickly if suspicions are raised.

"Those living near the Games development in the East End need to be particularly vigilant, and look for an increase in men visiting rented flats in their area. Trafficked women may not be obvious in appearance, often they are fed well and dressed smartly, in order to avoid suspicion.

"People do not know this is happening on their doorstep. They certainly do not want it here in Glasgow.

"I have met specifically with the Chief Executive of the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) to find out the scope of the problem and the extent of their fears on the matter but it really does need concerted, effective and properly resourced action to break the misery of sex trafficking."

Ends.