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Again and again, women who have been exploited abroad seek protection in Switzerland.
Leah HartmannEditor Politics
They are forced to buy, have to paint their fingernails for a pittance or toil in rich households under conditions similar to slavery: the number of victims of human trafficking seeking help in Switzerland has doubled in the past two years, according to statistics from the counseling centres.
Above all, the organizations have noticed an increase in the number of people seeking help – mostly women – who have become victims of human trafficking abroad. “For five years we have been looking after more and more women who have been exploited in Italy, France or another country and who flee to Switzerland to escape exploitation,” says Doro Winkler (58) from the specialist office for trafficking in women and women’s migration (FIZ). in Zurich.
Human trafficking in Switzerland
The couple showed no remorse. Last November, the Basel Criminal Court convicted a woman and a man of human trafficking, among other things. They had exploited several young women from Albania as domestic workers. The woman who reported her had to cook, clean, wash and take care of the three children around the clock – for just 300 francs a month. When she complained about the salary, the couple took her passport. There should also have been beatings.
Such verdicts are relatively rare in Switzerland. In recent years, at most, there have been around a dozen convictions for human trafficking per year. But that does not mean that there is hardly any human trafficking in Switzerland. Human trafficking is particularly common in connection with prostitution, but people are also exploited as domestic workers, cooks, in nail studios or hairdressing salons. Another area is organized begging.
Fepol speaks of “modern slavery”
The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) speaks of “modern slavery”. Victims and perpetrators are mostly foreigners. According to Fedpol, it is striking that the perpetrators often have the same background, often even from the same family or the same village. The perpetrators are mostly male, with a few exceptions: In human trafficking cases involving Thai and Nigerian victims, according to Fedpol, women play a leading role.
It is difficult to hold the perpetrators accountable because the victims often do not dare to testify against the tormentors. In addition, they often hardly know anything about the exploiters, so that they cannot be caught. In some cases, those affected are not even aware that they are victims of human trafficking.
The couple showed no remorse. Last November, the Basel Criminal Court convicted a woman and a man of human trafficking, among other things. They had exploited several young women from Albania as domestic workers. The woman who reported her had to cook, clean, wash and take care of the three children around the clock – for just 300 francs a month. When she complained about the salary, the couple took her passport. There should also have been beatings.
Such verdicts are relatively rare in Switzerland. In recent years, at most, there have been around a dozen convictions for human trafficking per year. But that does not mean that there is hardly any human trafficking in Switzerland. Human trafficking is particularly common in connection with prostitution, but people are also exploited as domestic workers, cooks, in nail studios or hairdressing salons. Another area is organized begging.
Fepol speaks of “modern slavery”
The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) speaks of “modern slavery”. Victims and perpetrators are mostly foreigners. According to Fedpol, it is striking that the perpetrators often have the same background, often even from the same family or the same village. The perpetrators are mostly male, with a few exceptions: In human trafficking cases involving Thai and Nigerian victims, according to Fedpol, women play a leading role.
It is difficult to hold the perpetrators accountable because the victims often do not dare to testify against the tormentors. In addition, they often hardly know anything about the exploiters, so that they cannot be caught. In some cases, those affected are not even aware that they are victims of human trafficking.
One such woman is Lidia (22). The Ugandan has a different name, but Blick made her anonymous to protect herself. The young woman fled to Switzerland a good year ago – a suitor in France had bought her a train ticket to Switzerland. She came to the Federal Asylum Center in Zurich and, via the lawyer who was assigned to her, to FIZ.
No shelter, no therapy
According to her counselor, Lidia was severely traumatized at the time of her escape. “She didn’t dare to go to the toilet at night because she might meet male residents of the center,” she says. A request to switch to the specialized protection program for victims of human trafficking was rejected. Therapy was also not possible because of the long waiting list. The Ugandan woman was only able to take pills against the sleep disorders and panic attacks.
Experts criticize how the federal government deals with victims like Lidia. The criticism is not new: years ago, a panel of experts from the Council of Europe reprimanded Switzerland for the fact that people who have been exploited abroad receive less protection and support than victims whose crimes were committed in Switzerland. Because: If Lidia had had to work in Switzerland, she would have found shelter in the shelter for victims of human trafficking. You are also entitled to free advice. Compensation and satisfaction are only available for those who were exploited in Switzerland – not abroad.
Switzerland is thereby violating the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings. In 2021, it was also downgraded by the US State Department: it is no longer one of the best countries in combating human trafficking.
The gap remains
Although the gap has long been known, it still exists today. A report commissioned by the Conference of Cantonal Social Directors (SODK) a few years ago clearly came to the conclusion that the Victim Assistance Act needs to be amended. But the then Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (59, FDP) ignored the recommendation and found that there was no acute need for reform.
But now something is happening in Parliament. The National Council’s Legal Commission wants to fill the gap and amend the law so that women and men who have been exploited abroad are also entitled to help. Last summer she submitted a corresponding parliamentary initiative, which will probably be discussed in the upcoming spring session in the National Council. She has a real chance of being accepted.
The Federal Council has also just passed a new national action plan against human trafficking – the third of its kind. It also provides for measures to better protect people like Lidia. Among other things, the cantons should create the basis for a new, national victim support center that specializes in such cases.
“Something has to happen there”
The initiative of the legal commission is an important step, says the Zurich SP national councilor Min Li Marti (48). “Advice for victims of human trafficking, including crime scenes abroad, is not only right from a humanitarian point of view, it could also be important so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.” Victims would often not dare to make a statement out of fear. “Victims who receive advice and support are more willing to testify.”
But not only left-wing politicians see an urgent need for action. The current situation is unsatisfactory, says Aargau Central National Councilor Marianne Binder-Keller (64). “Something has to happen.” Proponents of a change now hope that the new Justice Director Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59, SP) will get things moving.
criticism of deportations
Switzerland’s handling of victims of human trafficking is met with criticism. “In my view, urgent improvements are still needed to protect victims of people in the asylum sector,” says SP National Councilor Priska Seiler Graf (54).
According to Doro Winkler from the FIZ department, it is particularly problematic that Switzerland repeatedly sends victims of human trafficking back to the country in which they were exploited. It does this based on the Dublin Agreement, which regulates within Europe which country is responsible for examining an asylum application. “Switzerland interprets them much more strictly than other countries,” Winkler said. One accepts the risk that the victims will run back into the arms of their tormentors. But that
so-called re-trafficking must be prevented, according to the Council of Europe Convention.
More important than protecting the victims?
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) says that each asylum application is carefully examined and each individual case assessed as to whether a return to a Dublin state is permissible and reasonable. Winkler, on the other hand, says that based on her experience, Switzerland rarely foregoes deportation. “In Switzerland, the Dublin procedure is more important than protecting victims.”
A working group consisting of representatives from aid organizations and authorities has demanded that the federal government at least refrain from repatriation if a person has been exploited in Switzerland. But here, too, the federal government ignored the recommendation of a group of experts that it had set up itself. This would discriminate against other asylum seekers, so the argument of the SEM.
Switzerland’s handling of victims of human trafficking is met with criticism. “In my view, urgent improvements are still needed to protect victims of people in the asylum sector,” says SP National Councilor Priska Seiler Graf (54).
According to Doro Winkler from the FIZ department, it is particularly problematic that Switzerland repeatedly sends victims of human trafficking back to the country in which they were exploited. It does this based on the Dublin Agreement, which regulates within Europe which country is responsible for examining an asylum application. “Switzerland interprets them much more strictly than other countries,” Winkler said. One accepts the risk that the victims will run back into the arms of their tormentors. But that
so-called re-trafficking must be prevented, according to the Council of Europe Convention.
More important than protecting the victims?
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) says that each asylum application is carefully examined and each individual case assessed as to whether a return to a Dublin state is permissible and reasonable. Winkler, on the other hand, says that based on her experience, Switzerland rarely foregoes deportation. “In Switzerland, the Dublin procedure is more important than protecting victims.”
A working group consisting of representatives from aid organizations and authorities has demanded that the federal government at least refrain from repatriation if a person has been exploited in Switzerland. But here, too, the federal government ignored the recommendation of a group of experts that it had set up itself. This would discriminate against other asylum seekers, so the argument of the SEM.