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The exploitation of labor is increasing in Switzerland. Men are also increasingly affected by this.
The “Platforme Traite” brings together the four specialist centers operating in Switzerland to provide advice and help to victims of human trafficking. She has found that men are increasingly becoming victims of human trafficking in Switzerland.
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Private households, the hospitality industry and the construction industry are particularly affected by labor exploitation.
Keystone/Gaetan Bally
The proportion of male victims identified rose from 9 percent to 23 percent within four years. Last year, a total of 177 people were newly identified as victims of human trafficking, 41 of whom were men.
Exploitation of labor is increasing
When it comes to forms of exploitation, the “Platforme Traite” distinguishes between sexual exploitation and labor exploitation. The share of the second category has increased. While last year only just under a third of the cases involved labor exploitation, this figure has now risen to 44 percent.
The “Platforme Traite” sees the increase in uncovered cases of human trafficking in the labor sector as the result of awareness-raising work among unions and labor inspectors. Nevertheless, we haven’t reached the end yet.
The platform’s coordinator, Anna Schmid, said that human trafficking is a so-called trafficking crime. Wherever you look, the victims are recognized. For a long time, human trafficking in Switzerland was primarily associated with prostitution and the exploitation of women, meaning that male victims were somewhat pushed into the background. However, the majority of those affected are still women.
People seeking help have increased
Although the number of victims has decreased, more people turned to the four specialist centers in Switzerland seeking help because there was suspicion of human trafficking. The most common countries of origin for people who were exploited in 2022 were Hungary, Brazil, Colombia and Romania.