He raised the alarm about the exploitation of Vietnamese women in nail salons.

Many Vietnamese illegal immigrants in the UK are being exploited like slaves in nail salons.

A nail salon in Bath, Somerset, southwest England, closed in March after the owner was accused of conspiring to control and exploit workers. Photo: ITV.

Independent anti-trafficking organizations are calling on the British government to tighten regulation of nail salons to prevent illegal immigrant workers, many of whom are Vietnamese, from being exploited like slaves, the Guardian reports.

A report published on September 11th by Kevin Hyland, an independent commissioner working against modern slavery, paints a detailed picture of the reality of Vietnamese laborers attempting to illegally immigrate to the UK, highlighting the increasing number of Vietnamese exploited in nail salons and cannabis farms across the country. The report even provides evidence suggesting that some individuals have been abducted into the UK.

Although there are no precise statistics, Vietnam consistently ranks first or second in the number of illegal immigrant workers, with more than half being underage children, according to anti-trafficking police.

Over the past 10 years, the Vietnamese community in the UK has become "particularly known in the nail salon sector," according to Commissioner Hyland, who was appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May as the government's first adviser specializing in issues related to human trafficking.

According to Mr. Hyland, most nail salons only accept cash transactions and payments. This makes it difficult for authorities to manage the situation.

"This is a serious and organized form of crime. People are being bought and sold like commodities," Hyland wrote in the report. "We see a consistent link between nail salons and illegal immigration. We know there are people funding and supporting this organized crime."

Nail technicians work six days a week and at least eight hours a day. They often live crammed together in a place arranged by the owner. Most of the workers in nail salons are minors.

"One victim was forced to work seven days a week from morning until 6 or 7 pm for a wage of £30 (nearly $40) per week," police said.

Another victim, an orphan from Vietnam, was trafficked to England. Upon arriving, the boy was locked in a room to learn nail painting. Once skilled, he was forced to work for two salons simultaneously, earning $8 an hour. However, "instead of keeping his wages, he had to hand them over to the traffickers, who transported him to and from work daily and held him captive (after work)."

Local authorities shut down a nail salon in Bath, Somerset, southwest England, in March, and the Vietnamese owner was charged with conspiring to control workers for the purpose of exploitation and organizing or facilitating the illegal trafficking of women into the UK.

However, all efforts to combat this problem have been ineffective due to lax regulation of the nail salon industry in the UK, the report concludes. In contrast, in New York City, the mayor has implemented a series of measures to ensure nail salon workers are not exploited and are paid at least the minimum wage. Salons are also required to present "certificates of rights" for their employees in multiple languages.

While there are no strict regulations in place yet, expert Hyland urges customers getting manicures to pay attention to the practices of these businesses.

"Many people think that if the nail salon they frequent is operating illegally, then the authorities should shut it down," Hyland said, adding that the public feels "confused" by the issue.

Commissioner Hyland listed suspicious signs such as young staff, low service prices, frequent staff turnover, shop managers who are controlling of employees, or shop employees who are completely unable to communicate in English.

"If you notice a series of signs like that, report it to the police, local authorities, or call a hotline to prevent crime and modern slavery," Hyland suggested.

Charitable organizations fighting human trafficking are increasingly concerned about the illegal trafficking of Vietnamese people to the UK. In 2015, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron, during a visit to Vietnam, raised this issue for both sides to address. British police have also been continuously cracking down on cannabis farms employing Vietnamese workers. There is growing evidence that many Vietnamese are being exploited like slaves in nail salons in the UK. However, to date, no human traffickers have been prosecuted.

According to VNE