104 victims of human trafficking identified in Austria

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - A total of 104 victims of human trafficking were identified in Austria in 2022, according to a report that the country's police force released on Wednesday.

Nearly a third of the victims were women, according to the 2022 Situation Report of the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office, with a majority of the total being from third countries such as Iraq and India.

The report also noted that the victims had been abused as laborers and it added that 49 suspects, including 41 men and eight women reported to authorities.

Twenty suspects, including 14 men and six women, were reported for the cross-border prostitution trafficking of 26 of the total 33 women victims.

Eight female victims were minors and among those who had suffered cross-border prostitution trafficking, one was under the age of 18, the report added.

Underlining that victims of human trafficking were hardly visible in civil society, it said their exploitation took place in secret. Austria is in a special position due to its geographical location, as it is not only a transit country but also a destination country for human trafficking.

According to the EU Commission, more than 7,000 people in Europe fall victim to human trafficking every year, while the number of unreported cases is feared to be significantly higher.

The annual cost of human trafficking in the EU is €2.7 billion ($2.98 billion). Most victims are women and girls, but an increasing number of men are also affected, particularly in the area of labor exploitation.

Last December, the EU Commission proposed new measures against human smuggling. Forced marriage and illegal adoption, for example, are to be counted among forms of exploitation in the future.

Companies held responsible for crimes connected to human trafficking are also to face binding penalties.

However, the EU member states and the European Parliament have yet to negotiate the proposals.