Alexandra James

Analysis Output Manager, Osprey Flight Solutions

A Situational Awareness Update of Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling into the EU and UK

Over the last year, there has been a significant increase in irregular migration, including migrant smuggling and human trafficking, into the EU and UK. As we well know, cabin crew are a vital last line of defence in terms of aviation security, but their ability to recognise potential human trafficking activity inside the aircraft cabin may also be an individual’s last chance to avoid exploitation – such as forced labour, sexual exploitation and forced organ donation – in destination as well as transit countries. This presentation will aim to increase crew members’ capability to identify such incidents by raising awareness of some of the major trends we have been seeing as the industry recovers from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last year.

Alexandra James, the analyst lead on migration security issues at Osprey Flight Solutions, will highlight routes and hotspots, including source and transit locations, as well as push and pull factors in these locations, including conflicts and inconsistent economic recovery from the pandemic. She will also provide a brief summary of the methods employed by criminal groups operating in these locations and discuss how migration security issues overlap with other concerns, such as drug trafficking as well as the movement of members of terrorist organisations. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on how cabin crew can assist in addressing human trafficking via aviation. This includes the use of behavioural analysis to identify indicators of human trafficking, the value of crew-passenger interaction, as well as the importance of raising awareness among crewmembers, for example, by highlighting trends during pre-flight briefings on known trafficking routes.

Cabin Crew Conference
Day 1 – Tuesday 8th November 2022
Session 2 – 1115-1245