Virgin Atlantic joins the fight to combat human trafficking

18 October 2011

A new initiative to help cabin crew spot signs of human trafficking was launched today at Heathrow Airport.

Virgin Atlantic is providing its crew with special training on identifying those who may be engaged in trafficking and their potential victims and how to report them to authorities before arrival in the UK.

The launch of the pilot project, developed by the UK Border Agency in collaboration with the UK Human Trafficking Centre, coincides with Anti-Slavery Day. It includes an e-learning package that will raise awareness about the issues surrounding human trafficking and details the indicators to look out for during a flight.

Cabin crew who are in a prime position to identify both victims and traffickers will have access to a 24 hour helpline to report concerns to the UKBA. This will ensure that officers can meet the flight and question the individual concerned, allowing law enforcement agencies to take action against traffickers and provide support to victims.

Liam Vernon, Deputy Head of the UKHTC, said: “Organised crime groups use airlines to traffick individuals into the country who are often unaware that they are being exploited. Trafficking awareness needs to take place, and Virgin Atlantic is the first airline to pilot the training. We hope that other airlines will introduce it too.”

In the coming months, Virgin Atlantic will be offering all of their 3,500 crew the chance to take the e-learning package. Those boarding flights today had the opportunity to speak to officers from the UKBA and the UKHTC about the training and how they can help combat trafficking.

Cabin crew will also be sent material about the Blue Blindfold campaign ‘Open your eyes to human trafficking’, including an aide memoir detailing the key indicators of trafficking.

The UKHTC has also contributed to a report that was published today by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on the trafficking of children into and within the UK. Further information is also available on the CEOP website.

Visit the UKHTC pages to find out more about the centre’s work.