In 2021, the Swiss platform against human trafficking identified 207 new victims of trafficking compared to 142 in 2019. The overwhelming majority (81%) are women, but the share of male victims has increased from 13% to 19% over the last year, the platform said on Tuesday.
About two-thirds of the victims were trafficked for sexual purposes. Victims of labour exploitation and those pressed into criminal activities account for the rest.
The trafficked persons were exploited in private households, in restaurants, in nail salons, in construction, or forced to beg or commit illegal acts such as theft.
The victims came from 55 different countries with Nigeria, Romania, Brazil and Hungary the main places of origin. Around 40% of them were from Africa, 30% from European countries, 17% from Asia and 12% from Latin America.
According to advice and counselling centres, there are two main reasons for the increase in the number of victims. Firstly, the increased awareness of the problem within the police, asylum, social welfare and health sectors allowed more cases to be identified and put in contact with the platform.
Secondly, the increase in the number of victims may also indicate a general increase in human trafficking. According to the platform, the vulnerability of many people increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss police help dismantle Romanian human trafficking ring
This content was published on
A joint investigation involving Swiss and Romanian police has led to the arrest of several members of a gang charged with exploiting young women for prostitution.
Thai human trafficker sentenced in Switzerland for exploiting compatriots
This content was published on
A 60-year-old Thai woman, who was trafficking sex workers to Swiss brothels will have to serve ten and a half years in prison.
‘Switzerland has made progress in combating human trafficking’
This content was published on
More and more victims of human trafficking are being discovered in Switzerland according to the latest statistics from the Zurich-based Centre for Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Trafficking (FIZ). But such figures are approximate at best because many victims don’t dare to speak up. The organisation ACT212 set up its nationwide…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.