The sex worker-led organisation Scotland for Decrim argues that the bill would have a negative impact on sex workers, making it more difficult for them to work safely while not significantly reducing the demand for sex worker’s services.
The bill would create a new criminal offence of paying for sexual acts. The approach, known as the Nordic Model, originated in Sweden before being adopted by Norway, Iceland and Northern Ireland, among others.
Scotland for Decrim argues that the model fails to protect sex workers, citing evidence from Amnesty which found that hundreds of sex workers were made homeless through forced evictions as a result of similar legislation, and reports from Northern Ireland which showed a spike of 225% in reported assaults against sex workers following the introduction of the model.
Liz Thomson Amnesty International UK’s Scotland programme director said: “If passed into law this Bill will cause many of the same harms against sex workers in Scotland as our researchers have documented in other jurisdictions where the purchase of sex is criminalised.
“As Amnesty’s extensive worldwide consultations and first-hand research has shown, the main driver of sex work is poverty and the route to supporting those who want to exit sex work is to ensure that their economic and social rights like access to adequate housing, food and social security are upheld.
“We call on MSPs to oppose the bill and to ensure that the voices and experiences of sex workers are at the centre of any decision making in Scotland that impacts their lives.”
Regan, however, believes the bill will “protect those who sell sex by decriminalising them and recognise them as victims of exploitation”, giving them the legal right to support while challenging “men’s demand for prostitution by criminalising the buying of sex”, rather than the sale.
The former Alba MSP left the party in October to focus on pushing the bill through parliament, hoping that “in the not-too-distant future, when this trade in humans is finally consigned to history, people will look back and be horrified that we let the sex trade flourish in the way that it has for as long as it has.”
Nina Hart, a sex worker based in Scotland, said: “I’m protesting against Ash Regan’s Nordic Model because if it does come into effect, it’ll directly impact my life and my safety.
“If you criminalise clients, you scare away good customers and leave me with only those who don’t care about breaking the law. Clients will refuse to share their real names or ID with me, I will have to start accepting bookings from boundary pushers who will ask me to provide services I’m not comfortable with because they know with fewer clients around they’ve got the upper hand, and I will be more at risk.
“Sex work is the best option for me to earn money, and Ash Regan wants to take my bread and butter away. If her Bill passes and something happens to me at work, know that she has blood on her hands.”
In the foreword to the Bill, Regan says: “Some argue that involvement in prostitution is a free choice that must be accepted. The truth is that for most of the women prostitution is not a choice but a response to dire circumstances – they sell sex to survive.
“Poverty is the primary factor driving involvement in Scotland, as it does everywhere else in the world, but we cannot allow prostitution to be the solution to women’s poverty.
“We must not leave impoverished women to a system of exploitation and violence when we should be offering them real choices instead – choices that do not lead to such devastating consequences.”
“It is past time for our law on prostitution to be similarly updated to reflect our recognition of this as a violent, exploitative system that promotes degrading views about women.
“In the countries that have adopted the “Nordic Model”, a challenging demand approach, women are safer, men’s demand for prostitution is reduced, and the market for trafficking for sexual exploitation has shrunk.
“Harmful gender stereotypes as well as inequality between the sexes are changing for the better. This is achieved by shifting the criminal responsibility from the seller to the buyer, offering exit alternatives and public education campaigns,” she added.
Dozens of sex workers and allies gathered at Holyrood on Tuesday to protest a proposed bill they say will strip them of safety mechanisms and increase violence against them.
The demonstration was organised by Scotland for Decrim in response to Ash Regan’s proposed legislation. The bill seeks to introduce the “Nordic Model” to Scotland—a legal framework that decriminalises the selling of sex but criminalises the buying of it. While proponents claim this protects women, sex workers argue it creates a dangerous environment that forces the industry underground.
The Reality of the Nordic Model
Critics argue that by criminalising clients, the bill does not stop sex work; it simply makes it more perilous. Scotland for Decrim points to alarming evidence from other jurisdictions:
Northern Ireland: Following the introduction of similar laws, reported assaults against sex workers spiked by 225%.
Global Impact: Amnesty International research shows that such laws frequently lead to forced evictions and homelessness for sex workers.
Blood on Her Hands
Nina Hart, a sex worker based in Scotland, spoke passionately about the practical dangers of the bill. She explained that when clients fear arrest, they refuse to provide real names or ID, making it impossible for workers to screen for safety.
“If you criminalise clients, you scare away good customers and leave me with only those who don’t care about breaking the law… I will have to start accepting bookings from boundary pushers who will ask me to provide services I’m not comfortable with because they know with fewer clients around they’ve got the upper hand.”
“Sex work is the best option for me to earn money… If her Bill passes and something happens to me at work, know that she has blood on her hands.”
Tackling Poverty, Not Workers
While Ash Regan argues the bill challenges “men’s demand,” Amnesty International UK’s Liz Thomson counters that the legislation ignores the root causes of why people enter the trade.
“The main driver of sex work is poverty,” Thomson stated. She argued that the route to supporting those who wish to exit the industry is not through criminal law, but by upholding economic and social rights—such as access to housing, food, and social security.
The protesters are calling on MSPs to reject the bill and ensure that any future legislation centers the voices and lived experiences of sex workers, rather than policies that endanger their lives.
Here is a summary of the specific statistics and findings regarding the impact of the Nordic Model on sex worker safety in other jurisdictions:
Northern Ireland
Violence Spiked: Following the introduction of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act (which included the Nordic Model) in 2015, reported violent crime against sex workers increased by 225%.
No Reduction in Trade: Research by Queen’s University Belfast found no evidence that the law reduced the number of sex workers. In fact, the number of online advertisements for sexual services increased after the ban was implemented.
Worker Opposition: A Department of Justice survey found that 98% of sex workers in Northern Ireland opposed the law criminalising clients.
Republic of Ireland
Violent Crime Doubled: Since the introduction of the 2017 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, which criminalised the purchase of sex, violent crimes against sex workers have almost doubled.
Increased Stigma: Research indicates a significant rise in abusive behaviour toward workers, including harassment and threats, which workers attribute to the hostile climate created by the law.
France
Worse Living Conditions: After France adopted similar legislation in 2016, a study by Médecins du Monde found that 63% of sex workers experienced a deterioration in their living conditions.
Increased Violence: The same study reported that 42% of sex workers faced increased violence, as they were forced to work in more isolated areas to protect their clients from arrest.
Health Impact: 38% of workers reported finding it harder to insist on condom use, as the power dynamic shifted in favour of the client (who fears arrest and rushes the transaction).
Sweden & Norway (The Originators)
Housing Instability: In both countries, “pimping” laws often prevent sex workers from working together for safety or renting apartments. Landlords frequently evict sex workers to avoid prosecution for “living off the earnings” of prostitution, leading to forced homelessness.
Barriers to Justice: Amnesty International’s research in Norway found that sex workers who are victims of violence often do not report crimes to the police because they fear being evicted or deported if their work is discovered during the investigation.
Discrimination: A study covering Sweden, Norway, and Finland found that 96% of sex workers surveyed believed the criminalisation of clients made them more unsafe and vulnerable to exploitation.
