Human Trafficking in Vienna
In 2007 the Austrian ministry of interior created an action plan in order to fight human trafficking in Austria. Austria’s and especially Vienna’s role in human trafficking is, that they are a transit point, because they are so close to eastern Europe. In March 2012 another plan was released and the foreign minister Micheal Spindelegger said:” Our main goal is to increase the protection for the victims, especially women and children, as well as fighting the criminal organizations behind them.” According to the Austrian ministry of interior the main type of human trafficking in Vienna is prostitution. There are about 3’500 illegal prostitutes, just in Vienna! But at the moment other types of human trafficking such as forced labor, using people as seasonal workers or abuse children to beg for money (especially during Christmas time) get more and more popular. So even though many people in Vienna think they are not affected, they are! Lots of the poor men and women, who are begging for money in the streets of Vienna are “owned” by criminal organizations, lots of cheap clothing you buy at cheap brands, are made out of children’s hands, abused to work for your cheap jeans! So nearly all of us are directly affected or even support human trafficking without even knowing it. Another issue in Vienna that’s worth to be mentioned is, that Austria is the first wealthy country after the borders to the east, where prostitution is not forbidden. That’s why it’s so attractive for human traffickers and their criminal organizations. So as you can see Vienna plays a pretty big role in European human trafficking, and we should all do our best to stop that.