MINISTERS have allocated another £3 million to support victims of human trafficking in Scotland.

It came as statistics revealed the number of trafficking referrals to Police Scotland had risen by 38 per cent in 2017.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Human trafficking is an appalling abuse of human rights.

“This horrific crime affects the most vulnerable in society and has lasting consequences for its victims.

“Some will need long-term care and support following their ordeal, meaning that we must do everything we can to aid victims.”

The funds will be shared by Migrant Help and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (Tara) over the next three years.

Both organisations support suspected victims of trafficking identified in Scotland.

Tara cares for women who suffer sexual exploitation as a result of the crime, while Migrant Help assists all other adult victims.

The news comes in the same week regulations will see the minimum period of support for such victims doubled to 90 days.

Bronagh Andrew of Tara said: “Women require long-term help to recover from the abuse they have survived and this increase in resources will enable us to continue to improve our efforts to establish a solid foundation to help women on their journey.

“Women have told us that support needs to be ongoing and that they value the assistance they receive.”

Phil Dailly, Migrant Help’s national operations manager, added: “The longer support period will have a positive impact on our clients’ recovery.

“It will give us more time to address individual needs and enable them to regain confidence and prepare for a new positive chapter in their lives.”

Scottish ministers have a duty under the law to provide support and assistance to victims of human trafficking.

Across the UK last year, there were 5,145 potential victims of trafficking identified, and flagged up to the dedicated National Referral Mechanism (NRM), who work to identify victims of modern slavery.

The NRM say the largest group were British citizens (819), more than double the 326 referred in 2016 followed by Albanian and Vietnamese nationals.

The surge in British slaves was, authorities said, down, in part, to a better understanding of exploitation by police and other authorities.

Often they’re being exploited by criminal gangs who take advantage of young and vulnerable people to distribute them for sexual exploitation or to act as drug mules.

The gangsters use those under the age of 18 as they believe they look less suspicious and receive lenient sentences if caught.

The NCA said those found in the trade may also have issues mental health and substance abuse issues, as well broken homes, traumatic lives, state care or having been reported missing, the NCA said.

The majority of referrals (4,714) were passed to English police forces for crime recording purposes, with 207 referred in Scotland, 193 in Wales and 31 in Northern Ireland.

Most are subject to some form of forced labour, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude.

Victims have been found in nail bars, cannabis farms, prostitution, flower-picking and at car washes.

Of the referrals logged last year, 1,595, or nearly a third, related to exploitation alleged to have happened overseas.

Liam Vernon, a senior manager in the NCA’s modern slavery and human trafficking unit, told a newspaper. “The number is shocking and our assessment is that this is an under-reported crime.”