Although human trafficking and exploitation are not necessarily linked to migration, this is often the case in practice. Migrants often find themselves in precarious situations that can increase their vulnerability to human trafficking and exploitation.
People in war and crisis zones and those fleeing their homes are particularly at risk of exploitation. Human trafficking and exploitation sometimes take place in the country of origin, but often also during flight, along the migration route and/or in the destination country. Gender-specific persecution occurs when the reason for the persecution or the nature of the persecution is linked to a person's gender or sexual orientation.
Many areas in which migrants work in the destination country are characterised by belonging to the informal economy, which is often characterised by unregulated employment, poor pay and difficult working conditions.
Factors that can contribute to exploitation and human trafficking:
Victims of human trafficking from third countries are considered particularly vulnerable under the EU Reception Directive. This gives them specific rights in the asylum procedure, such as adequate accommodation and special benefits in terms of medical and therapeutic care.
Further information on this topic is also available from the Flight and Human Trafficking project run by the Federal Coordination Group against Human Trafficking (KOK).
