Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy 2025: equality impact assessment

The Scope of the EQIA

This EqIA considers the impact of Scotland’s Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy 2025 on people with one or more protected characteristic.

Who was involved in this EqIA

There has been extensive policy engagement with stakeholders throughout the review of the previous Strategy and in the development of the revised Strategy. In October 2022 we commenced the review of the previous Strategy with an online public survey, launched via social media. This was followed by consultation with stakeholders from the three Action Area groups and Child Trafficking Strategy Group conducted by way of questionnaire. Subsequently, a programme of one-to-one meetings with key partners was arranged to discuss the Strategy and their views in greater detail. The review of the previous Strategy concluded with an in person stakeholder event focused on the key indicators and objectives which required to be taken forward into the revised Strategy.

The review^[5] was published in September 2023. An in person stakeholder event, including survivor voices, was held in December 2023. Following this, a programme of internal engagement with relevant Scottish Government policy teams commenced alongside continued external engagement. Concurrently in early 2024 and following feedback received via the Review process, Justice Analysts were commissioned to assess evidence of what works to prevent human trafficking and exploitation and this has led to the development of four analytical papers which will be published alongside the Strategy.

In September 2024 we provided all existing Strategy partners (members of each existing Action Area group) with a paper setting out or proposed public health approach to the revised Strategy and followed this with an in-person session on 2 December 2024 to work through the proposed vision, purpose, principles and outcomes upon which the Strategy rests.

Overall feedback from stakeholders has been positive. There was a strong desire for the new Strategy to take a more preventative approach to the issue of human trafficking during our review of the previous Strategy and the public health approach has been welcomed. Through our engagement process, we have also consulted directly with multiple groups of human trafficking survivors and have embedded their request for greater involvement of lived experience in the revised Strategy.