Human trafficking on the rise in Germany

Police and customs officials across Germany responded to some 510 cases of human trafficking in 2021, according to a report published by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on Friday. This represents a 10% increase over the previous year.

Abuse of children in trafficking cases rose even more significantly, the BKA said. At least 237 children were affected, 23% more than in 2020. The kinds of crimes that fall under this umbrella include the creation of child sexual abuse imagery as well as forced prostitution.

According to the report, the average age of victims was 15 and the average age of perpetrators was 37.

Forced sex work a major issue

Forced prostitution was becoming a concern, the BKA warned, of both minors and adults. They said that one of the most common methods used by perpetrators in this case went as follows: an older man entices a younger woman into what she thinks is a romantic relationship before he then uses emotional abuse to coerce her into sex work and exploits her financially.

In terms of forced sex work, the report said, 93% of the 417 victims were women. Most victims and perpetrators were German, but there were also immigrants involved from countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, and China. Every third victim was younger than 21.

Police also warned that the true number of victims could be far higher. They cautioned that even after a raid is conducted, victims could be hesitant to tell officers they had been trafficked for a variety of reasons, including fear of reprisal or criminal charges.

The report also detailed human trafficking in Germany for purposes of labor exploitation. The sector most affected by modern slavery was in care jobs such as homes for the elderly or the chronically ill. There were also cases in construction work, bars and restaurants, as well as house and office cleaning.

es/sms (dpa, epd)