Airlines should train flight attendants to spot signs that a person is being trafficked, according to the UN agency responsible for tackling sexual exploitation and forced labour.



The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is also asking airlines to distribute information cards to passengers, cargo workers and airport staff, with advice on recognising when a person might be a victim of exploitation.



Felipe De La Torre, programme management officer at the UN agency, said airlines are well-placed to help authorities crack down on trafficking. “The airlines have the power to detect possible signs of human trafficking victims, they have the power to channel this information to the airport authorities and they also have the power to disseminate short videos or documentaries about human trafficking,” he said.

Almost 21 million people are in forced labour worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization. It estimates that trafficking earns profits of roughly $150bn (£118bn) a year for criminals involved. Of those exploited by individuals or enterprises, 4.5 million people suffer forced sexual exploitation, while 14.2 million are victims of forced labour in areas such as agriculture, construction or domestic work.

More attention has been paid to the role airlines can play in tackling such crimes following reports earlier this year that a flight attendant helped rescue a teenage girl from being trafficked. The member of staff, who worked for Alaska Airlines, left a note for the girl in the plane toilet after noticing that she appeared distressed and that she was travelling with an older, well-dressed man. The incident, which occurred in 2011, was reported in the media in February.



Todos podemos contibuir en la detección de posibles casos d trata d personas #BeAwareOfTheSigns #IATAAGM pic.twitter.com/tGWk3feodY — UNODC_mx (@UNODC_MX) June 4, 2017

In the US, more than 70,000 airline staff have been trained to identify traffickers and their victims through the Blue Lightning initiative, launched in 2013 with the support of JetBlue, Delta Air Lines and others. At a meeting of the International Air Transport Association this week, flight companies elsewhere were encouraged to run similar schemes to raise awareness.

There are several warning signs members of the public can look out for, said De La Torre. “One typical sign is when you see next to you an old guy with a young child and you can identify that they don’t have any emotional connection. You can see he’s not the grandfather. Or, a mother who doesn’t know how to handle the baby chair … Of course not all these things are human trafficking but at least passengers should be open to identifying suspicious situations.”



Airline Ambassadors, a charity that works with border staff at airports in ways to identify people being trafficked, advises on its website that such victims may be afraid of uniformed security, unsure of their destination and wearing inappropriate clothing. It recommends initiating pleasant, non-threatening conversation, and instructs people not to confront anyone, or display any unusual concern or alarm.

Bharti Patel, chief executive of Ecpat UK, an organisation that campaigns against child trafficking, said raising awareness among the general public is a positive step. “Airlines transfer and transport millions of children and adults across several countries. The fact they would be there in a confined space for several hours shows that they would be in a good position to identify possible victims.”

But knowing how to spot signs a person is vulnerable isn’t enough, she said, adding that well-meaning attempts to intervene can put victims at even greater risk.

“It’s not a simple process and nobody should think this is. There are dangers of wrongly identifying a child as well as dangers of not taking the right action and putting the child at risk,” said Patel. “A child may be told, ‘If you do report me this will happen to you, or this will happen to your family’ – and these are real threats if the child is a victim of trafficking.”

