This is episode is intended as a guide to how modern slavery and human trafficking affects its victims but also how us, as the industry professionals, should recognise, behave towards and potentially report this illegal activity.

With thousands of victims across many industries and money making activities, modern slavery is big business in the drug scene and is known as County Lines in this field and in, for example, domestic servitude. These seems to represent what people expect to see when they think of people being trafficked to be modern slaves.  However, the humble manicure or handy car wash are often operated by trafficked people.  

This podcast episode looks at the effects on the nail & beauty industry and deals with some tough questions we need to ask ourselves.  All data has been researched and quoted from the references below and I have endeavoured to be as open and honest as possible in this very difficult subject.  

The entitled expectation that every woman has a right to regular nail service has fuelled the illegal trade that goes on under the authorities noses as it seems too nice a service to be affected by human trafficking. 

As professionals we can probably spot the irregularities of these 'businesses' more easily than Joe Public, but we often refrain from doing anything for fear of peer or authority judgement on our reasons for reporting.  We and the authorities need to realise that they are not our rivals or competition they are organised criminal venues and as such we are helping the victims escape their invisible shackles.

To report anonymously and confidentially you can call

08000 121700 or visit modernslaveryhelpline.org to register you concern.

You can also call 101 and if you feel that someone's life is in imminent danger please call 999.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45130589

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42541977 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-quarter-1-2022-january-to-march/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-quarter-1-2022-january-to-march

https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/291-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-january-to-march-2019/file

https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/spot-the-signs/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/21/what-does-your-10-manicure-really-cost-the-unvarnished-truth-about-nail-bars