Netherlands’ Trafficking Figures 5 Times Greater than Expected

The NL Times reports that the estimate for human trafficking victims in the Netherlands is five times higher than originally assumed.

There are more than 6,000 victims of modern-day slavery, mostly underage women who are exploited for forced prostitution, reports Corinne Dettmeijer, the National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking. The estimate of 6,250 victims per year in the country is significantly higher than the number of cases reported to authorities.

Dettmeijer said that underage victims often fall victim to so-called loverboys, or pimps. According to the report, 2 to 3 girls per thousand high school students are victims. Dettmeijer believes authorities only have sight of 11 percent of these girls. “This may be because they often have less of a feeling of being exploited, or because this exploitation situation goes unnoticed” she said.

Human trafficking in the Netherlands isn’t limited to trafficking for sexual exploitation:

“Two thirds of human trafficking victims in the Netherlands face sexual exploitation, such as forced prostitution. The remaining victims face criminal and labor exploitation and forced service. These victims also include many men and are often brought to the Netherlands from abroad.”