Victims of human trafficking in Germany often have problems asserting their rights, according to a report published in Berlin on Thursday.
The study by the German Institute for Human Rights is described as the first to summarize all available data on the subject, from both authorities and advice centres.
“Human trafficking takes place every day in Germany, for example in nursing, domestic work, prostitution, agriculture, the meat processing industry or in the construction sector,” said the institute’s director, Beate Rudolf. “They are labor intensive and do not require any special qualifications or language skills.”
Many of those affected remain in hiding because they are ashamed, threatened or afraid of reprisals.
The institute is funded by the federal government and operates independently. It conducts research and advises on human rights and advises politicians.
The researchers identified victims of sexual exploitation mainly from Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, China, Hungary, Thailand and Vietnam.
The report, which will be published every two years in the future, includes data from 2020 to 2022. During this time, investigating authorities identified 3,155 victims, an average of almost three per day. However, it is believed that there are a large number of unreported cases.
For every male victim, there are two female victims. In the case of sexual exploitation, more than 90% of those affected are women, while in the case of labor exploitation, more than half are men. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), almost one in four are minors.
