Forced into a dark situation: trafficked victims in Switzerland work in various sectors, including the sex trade.
Keystone / Natacha Pisarenko
Swiss authorities have launched an awareness campaign to help identify victims of trafficking who are being forced to work in the country.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
A brochure published on Monday outlines some red flags: precarious or illegal residency status, limited or no access to one’s own travel documents or passport, and cursory or exaggerated work contracts.
The campaign is mainly aimed at raising awareness among labour market inspectors, writesExternal link the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), which organised the initiative in the framework of the “national action plan against human trafficking”.
Trafficking for the purposes of forced work is punishable by law in Switzerland. Last year the police recorded 99 cases, up from 85 in 2018.
Cases come from across the exploitation spectrum, SECO says: some are trafficked in order to work, others to provide sexual services, or others for the purpose of organ donation.
NGOs working with vulnerable groups cite even higher numbers. The “Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Trafficking (FIZ) reported 255 cases in 2019, many of whom were forced to work as prostitutes.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss oddities
Mennonite movement turns 500 in Zurich, where it all began
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
255 cases of human trafficking in Switzerland in 2019
This content was published on
Last year marked a record high number of cases of human trafficking in Switzerland, a support group for female migrants reported on Monday.
‘Switzerland has made progress in combating human trafficking’
This content was published on
More and more victims of human trafficking are being discovered in Switzerland according to the latest statistics from the Zurich-based Centre for Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Trafficking (FIZ). But such figures are approximate at best because many victims don’t dare to speak up. The organisation ACT212 set up its nationwide…
Human trafficking: Swiss urged to improve victim protection
This content was published on
Switzerland has been told by the Council of Europe that it needs to step up efforts to tackle human trafficking and protect unaccompanied children.
Human trafficking remains a problem for Switzerland
This content was published on
Taken together with the 113 ongoing consultations from previous years, FIZ says the number of cases of women being trafficked into the country (many for prostitution) remains high. In 2017, FIZ provided support for 228 women. To combat the problem, FIZExternal link has joined forces with Church groups to provide better care for the victims. The Zurich-based entity will receive funding…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.