Sharp rise in human trafficking victims in Switzerland
The number of victims of human trafficking in Switzerland increased by 50% between 2019 and 2021.
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.
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