Nail bars are havens for modern slavery. Here’s how you can help tackle it

In 2016, more beauty and grooming salons opened in the UK than any other independent business. Latest figures show that women on average have 10 pedicures a year and spend £994 per annum on beauty treatments. Men are increasingly getting in on the act, spending on average £779 per year. I am not one of those women, but my terrible nails are a good talking point when I go into nail bars to spot signs of slavery and exploitation.

These visits are part of the work of the south-west’s Anti-Slavery Partnership. Partners from law enforcement, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector come together to investigate businesses in which slavery and exploitation may be occurring. We try to make sure that people who may be victims of exploitation are aware of their rights and that there are agencies out there who are able to help. We know that exploiters and traffickers often keep their victims isolated from the community in which they work in order to exert control over them.

One of those visits led to the UK’s first successful prosecution of modern slavery involving minors earlier this week in Bath, where two people were jailed after forcing children trafficked from Vietnam to work in nail bars.

Budget nail bars have taken our high streets by storm. Cheaper than traditional beauty salons, with no appointment required, they appeal to our insatiable desire for a bargain, need for instant gratification and the modern necessity to feel good about ourselves. And we want all of this without interacting with the person behind the mask providing our treatment.

Source: theguardian