La Strada Documentation Center

Draft Report. Trafficking in Human Beings and the 2006 World Cup in Germany

Document number
1307
Date
2006
Title
Draft Report. Trafficking in Human Beings and the 2006 World Cup in Germany
Author/publisher
Jana Hennig, Sarah Craggs, Fred Larsson, Frank Laczko, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Football, Sport, Demand, Media, Prevention campaigns, Women's rights; Women; Control and regulation of prostitution, Protection, Punishable forms of prostitution,
Summary
In the first half of 2006 several big campaigns were launched in Germany and other countries, with the aim of preventing the World Cup in Germany to turn into a market for trafficking. Estimates circulating in the news claimed that up to 40.000 potential victims of forced prostitution would be trafficked into GermanyThey conclude that prevention campaigns and increased law enforcement efforts during the World Cup may have reduced the risk of trafficking, but that there are no data to prove this. The FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany was unique in how strongly this major sports event was linked in the national and international debate to the issue to trafficking in human beings. This link made it onto the agendas of high-level meetings of political representatives as well as onto the websites of sports clubs. Despite the host of international pressure in the immediate run-up to the World Cup, the research findings revealed that the German authorities had actually began developing concepts and planning of action with regard to an increased risk of human trafficking during the World Cup well before the media coverage started – in autumn 2005. The full scale of the practice remains relatively unknown and only partly reflected in official statistics, with victims unwilling, scared or unable to report to the authorities and trafficking remaining a highly organized, transnational underground criminal activity. However, all data, information and experts statements that are available so to date strongly indicate that an increase in THB before and during the World Cup did not occur […]However, much of the public attention was owed to the “hype” that had developed on basis of the unfounded estimate of the 40,000 foreign/forced prostitutes allegedly expected to be brought to Germany for the World Cup. Even if many German NGOs had not supported this estimate, this may hinder their future efforts to gain long-term attention and support for the important work they are doing. It should be noted that most campaigns were launched for the World Cup, but were not limited to the event, and many activities are being continued.
Related documents