Around 200 victims of human trafficking identified in Switzerland
The four specialised member organisations of the Plateforme Traite (FIZ, ASTRÉE, CSP Geneva, MayDay) identified 197 new victims of human trafficking in Switzerland last year. This represents an increase compared to the previous year. The Plateforme Traite also noted an increase in the number of victims of labour exploitation. Although the authorities have shifted their focus from sex work to other labour sectors, many of these victims are often not identified as such and have no access to their rights.
11% more new cases compared to the previous year
Including the 197 new and previously identified persons, a total of 488 victims of human trafficking were assisted and counselled by the member organisations of Plateforme Traite in 2023.The increase in cases confirms that human trafficking is a reality in Switzerland.
The vast majority of cases detected are women (75.5%). However, the trend of recent years has been confirmed once again: male victimes are not a marginalised phenomenon and account for 23% of the total number of victims. The increase in male victims is mainly explained by the fact that awareness of human trafficking and the corresponding controls have increasingly shifted from sex work to labour sectors that are male-dominated.
In 2023, the victims came from 55 different countries. The most common countries of origin of the newly identified victims in 2023 were Hungary, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and Somalia. This year, there was a significantly higher proportion of victims from African countries (56%). Of the remaining victims, 17% came from European countries, 14% from Latin American countries and 12% from Asian countries.
The profile of the victims recorded in terms of origin, gender and work activity depends heavily on the sectors in which checks are carried out, the level of awareness of the first contact points and the presence of specialised victim protection agencies. The figures therefore only represent part of the reality of the phenomenon, which by definition takes place in secret.
Protection instead of criminal prosecution of victims
The specialist units are increasingly identifying victims of human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation: of all newly identified victims, 33% were trafficked in 2021, 44% in 2022 and 47% in 2023. These figures also include victims who were forced into illegal activities such as theft or drug smuggling.
The increase in detected cases of victims of labour exploitation is the result of the awareness-raising work carried out by the Plateforme Traite’s specialist units with the police, counselling centres from the migration sector or for victims of violence, hospitals and others. Nevertheless, Nina Lanzi from FIZ criticises: “People affected by labour exploitation are often not recognised as such and therefore do not receive the protection they are entitled to.” It is the absence of specialised protection organisations, a lack of resources and a lack of awareness on the part of the authorities that mean that victims have neither access to a secure residence permit nor to the victim protection services to which they are entitled under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CAT).
“In the case of labour exploitation, the perpetrators are usually not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence,” emphasises Leila Boussemacer from CSP Geneva. The criminal offence of human trafficking is just as rarely prosecuted by the authorities. It is often the victims who are prosecuted and expelled from the country due to illegal residence and lack of a work permit. In its recommendations to Switzerland, GRETA, the CAT expert group, recommends more consistent recognition of victims of labour exploitation as victims of human trafficking and the non-punishment of offences committed in connection with exploitation.
More resources for victim protection
The national action plan against human trafficking contains various measures that the cantons must introduce to ensure adequate protection. Monica Marcionetti from MayDay calls for: “More resources for the establishment of specialised structures are needed to effectively protect victims of human trafficking.” GRETA recommended that Switzerland creates such a budget this summer. Angela Oriti from ASTRÉE emphasises: “As the number of identified victims of human trafficking has increased, protective measures are needed that are coordinated and adequately funded between the cantonal and federal levels.” This is essential to enable access to protection and rights for victims throughout the country.
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