Fears 2014 Glasgow Games could see influx of human trafficking victims

The Commonwealth Games in 2014 could lead to an influx of victims of human trafficking to Scotland.

The European Commission's anti-trafficking coordinator Myria Vassiliadou has urged the Scottish Government to make people who procure sex and consumer goods from victims its top anti-trafficking priority.

Vassiliadou, the first person tasked by the European Union's governing body to tackle human trafficking, said that studies have shown that authorities must be vigilant to human trafficking during large sporting events.

She told Holyrood's European and External Relations Committee that human trafficking is worth 32 billion dollars, equivalent to around two-thirds of the entire Scottish Budget, the Scotsman reported.

She said that three -fifths of victims of trafficking in the EU are EU citizens, adding that they are trafficked for sex; for forced labour in sectors such as construction, agriculture and health; for crime and organ removal, the report added.