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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder if the people in nail shops are trafficked

70 replies

Metoodear · 21/05/2018 20:32

That’s it really getting my feet done and their seems to be a high proportion of Asians doing nails now I will fully concede that this just might be a thing to go into my nails are really nice however I always wondered if they may be trafficed

Please done flame me Blush

OP posts:
DrAdmin · 21/05/2018 20:32

Sometimes I wonder this about car washes

honeysucklejasmine · 21/05/2018 20:34

I think it's a "known" area for traffickers, but I'm not sure on the figures, or indeed if it's true.

Opheliah · 21/05/2018 20:37

No you are definitely onto something.

Near me in London there are Asian girls at a nail bar but they're sitting around lots with no customers, I don't see how it any makes money. DP and I suspect the premises is used for money laundering with nail bar as a cover and the girls are paid whatever just to prop up the appearance of a real business. And can obviously do nails too.

TellMeDinosaurFacts · 21/05/2018 20:40

Police intown busted a hand car wash for trafficking a couple of years ago actually. They only managed it because some of the poor trafficked men were brave and desperate enough to go to the police in the end. I’m very wary of them now.

TellMeDinosaurFacts · 21/05/2018 20:41

Sorry in my town

MollyDaydream · 21/05/2018 20:42

Nail bars and car washes are well known for trafficking.

Moussemoose · 21/05/2018 20:43

Yes some are. I work with young people and we are aware that some nail bars are run by very dangerous people. We work to educate youngsters from mainly, but not exclusively, Vietnam, Cambodia etc to stay away.

Some young people have been trafficked and we try to build new links with safer employers.

This is not true for all nail bars some of the young people are working hard to make a living. How do you know which is which - I have no idea.

Look for places that have healthy looking, happy staff. Don't go to the cheapest places, try to engage in conversation, ask if they are learning English anywhere.

Furano · 21/05/2018 20:44

Yup to car washes and nail bars.

NewBallsPlease00 · 21/05/2018 20:45

It’s a high area of high risk, which also preys on the documentation of names often being in local script eg mandarin , and photos are hazy, so it is less instantly readable by authorities...

tenbob · 21/05/2018 20:45

An article I read said to be wary of nail bars which don't take cards/routinely have a card machine that is 'broken', where the technicians don't speak English and where you can't book with a specific person but have to use their taxi rank system

Tbh, that sums up every single nail bar I can think of, bar the swishy ones inside department stores or day spas

And the BBC had a recent article about car washes using trafficked people

Akire · 21/05/2018 20:45

This is Aline you can report on if are suspicious. I know sort of
Things to look out for are really cheap prices. So in a car wash if 5 blokes take half hour do your car and it’s costing you a £10 then it’s not going give mim wage x 5 adults

If staff looked unkept, in poor cloning for task and generally unhappy though could apply to many jobs.

JustGettingStarted · 21/05/2018 20:46

I also worry about the health risks if they're not wearing masks.

user1457017537 · 21/05/2018 20:47

In my local nail bars the girls cannot speak English and are Vietnamese. The shop only accepts cash for payment. Alarm bells ring for me. However, I cannot believe that Councils do not keep an eye on who is employed on the premises but then again maybe I’m being naive.

Biologifemini · 21/05/2018 20:48

There normally is one bloke in there in order to keep an eye on the girls and ensure they don’t say anything or run off.
According to the guardian this is one of the signs of a people trafficked nail bar.
But people get their nails done on the cheap so that’s ok then(!).

niceupthedance · 21/05/2018 20:48

In car washes I suspect a lot of men are there because their claim for asylum got refused so they don't have legal right to work.

MorganKitten · 21/05/2018 20:50

There’s a good story behind the original Vietnamese women who ran salons, it started after the Vietnam war and they were the wives brought back to the USA. I know the staff in mine aren’t trafficked as it’s all one family.

Penfold007 · 21/05/2018 20:51

According to my police officer DN the nails shop staff and the car wash people are all at high risk of being trafficked. Sobering thought, what are we meant to do?

kabanner · 21/05/2018 20:53

Nail bars and car washes are big areas of focus for the GLAA of you have any suspicions then you can report to them.

Etino · 21/05/2018 21:06

‘My’ nail bar workers have local accents and children at school here. They’re from mainland China. 10 years ago in Oz, they were definitely believed to have been trafficked though. If it is a front it’s a clever one, they’re busy and profitable.

Etino · 21/05/2018 21:08

@Biologifemini
There are more men doing nails than women!

kabanner · 21/05/2018 21:14

@Etino in my experience men can be just as vulnerable as women to this, especially if they have family who maybe threatened either here in the UK or back in home country.
As I said earlier any concerns Google GLAA and look at how to report.

Moussemoose · 21/05/2018 21:15

Some of the trafficked youngsters are young men and they are trained to work in the nail bars.

The councils do their best to regulate - but you know all the cuts of local government bureaucrats you hear about - well it is these jobs that go. Trading standards and anti trafficking teams can all disappear without impacting immediately on people who vote.

Etino · 21/05/2018 21:17

@kabanner I don’t disagree about men being more at risk, just that they’re not a rarity installed to stop the women running away.

VioletCharlotte · 21/05/2018 21:30

I believe they are often a front for illegal businesses, and are used to launder money.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the staff are trafficked and being used as sex workers as well as nail technicians.

kabanner · 21/05/2018 21:31

@Etino exactly can be just at risk. I never had an idea about modern slavery until I moved industry and its one of our main focus areas. The problem has now moved to smaller businesses less likely to be audited.