Manchester airport staff trained to detect human trafficking

A special training programme was launched to train staff at Manchester Airport to detect human trafficking and child marriage victims.

The programme, a part of the Travel Safe Week campaign initiated by Britain's first female bishop Reverand Libby Lane is the biggest of its kind at Britain's third largest airport, aimed at qualifying its staff to spot and discern tell-tale signs of human trafficking victims, Xinhua reported.

"It's important that faith communities stand alongside statutory bodies and voluntary organizations as well as businesses in standing up for those who are most vulnerable," Bishop Lane said at the opening of the training programme Monday.

She expressed her appreciation to Manchester Airport, airlines and companies as well as border police for their efforts to protect people from violence and exploitation.

Also present there was Manchester City Councillor Sameem Ali, a survivor of forced marriage who has campaigned to offer help to vulnerable teenage girls.

"The problems of human trafficking, forced marriage and exploitation belong to the whole community," she said.

"The solution is therefore also to be found by the whole community, together, by sharing responsibility and creating awareness."

According to UNICEF, up to 1.2 million children suffer from human trafficking annually.

The fast growing global crime is now the second largest source of illegal income worldwide, only behind drug trafficking.

--Indo-Asian News Service

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