Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
A demonstration against human trafficking and modern slavery in 2022 in Lucerne
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
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. Three-quarters of the cases involved victims of human trafficking.
Almost three-quarters of trafficked persons were exploited in the sex trade, FIZ said on Monday. Just over 10% were exploited in the domestic and care work sector. Compared to the previous year, the number of cases of human trafficking fell from 259 to 238.
Of the identified victims of human trafficking, 206 were female, 13 were transgender and 19 were male, according to FIZ. Thirty-four victims received inpatient care in one of seven FIZ shelters, while the others received outpatient support. FIZ counted a total of 4,716 overnight stays in its shelters in 2023.
A quarter of all 317 cases in the FIZ victim protection programme involved people who are undergoing asylum proceedings in Switzerland, according to the report. Those affected by the human trafficking and asylum programme came from 34 countries. Most of the new referrals came from Somalia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Around 30% of the migrant women advised by FIZ were victims of domestic violence.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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