Shiva Hotels to help operators spot human trafficking

Shiva Hotels is to offer advice to independent operators on how to spot human trafficking.

There could be up to 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK, according to estimates from the Home Office.

Modern slavery is defined as the recruitment, movement or harbouring of children, women or men through the use of force for the purpose of exploitation.

Shiva Foundation, established in 2012 by Shiva Hotels founder Rishi Sachdev and his wife Meenal, campaigns to tackle the crime through its Stop Slavery Blueprint. As an ongoing commitment to its aims, Lincoln Plaza London in Canary Wharf – part of the Shiva Hotels' collection – will host awareness training to provide greater understanding to the issue and the steps that can be taken to address the risk.

Attendees will be helped to recognise signs of human traffickers operating within hotels, such as guests paying solely with cash, having limited ID or asking for a room next to a fire exit. How to identify potential victims of human trafficking among staff will also be explored, from fake CVs and references to noticing when an employee is dropped off and picked up from the same location or unwilling to socialise with their colleagues.

Ashley Cole, general manager, Lincoln Plaza London, said: "We have worked closely with Shiva Foundation to create a framework that tackles issues of human trafficking and modern slavery. Specifically, we are committed to ensuring our supply chain, labour force and local community are all free from slavery.

"This initiative has been so successful that we now want to extend it further. By inviting staff from independent hotels to attend dedicated training sessions, the hope is that together we can help eradicate the complex problem of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK hospitality industry."

The training session will take place at Lincoln Plaza on 14 November.