FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY: Red card to trafficking during World Cup

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8 May 2006
[International Secretariat]
Region: FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
Topic: Women's Rights
Amnesty International fears that there will be an increase in trafficking of women and girls for purposes of sexual exploitation during the FIFA World Cup in Germany this summer.
The organization calls on the European institutions and governments to do everything in their power to prevent this.

Between 9 June and 9 July 2006, the World Cup in football for men will take place in Germany. In the 12 cities which will host matches (Berlin, Cologne (K?ln), Dortmund, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hannover, Kaiserslautern, Leipzig, Munich (M?nchen), Nuremberg (N?rnberg) and Stuttgart) it is expected that large numbers of men, possibly over a million, will travel to Germany and that there will be an increase in demand within the German sex sector. There are fears that this may lead to increased trafficking of women and girls for purposes of sexual exploitation to Germany during this period. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed its concern that between 30,000 and 60,000 women and girls might be the object of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation during the World Cup.

Human trafficking is a violation of human rights including the right to human dignity, to physical and mental integrity, to freedom of movement, to freedom from torture and in some cases even to the right to life. Governments must ensure protection and respect of the rights of trafficked people - including women and children trafficked into forced prostitution.

Thus, in order to prevent human trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation and to ensure that those who do become victims of human trafficking get the assistance they need;

Amnesty International calls on:
the European Commission to, in line with the European Parliament resolution of 15 March on forced prostitution in the context of world sports events to launch a Europe-wide campaign 'to inform and educate the general public, and particularly sports people, sports fans and supporters, about the scale of the problem of forced prostitution and trafficking in human beings and, most importantly, to seek to curb demand by raising awareness among potential clients';
the European Commission to, in line with the European Parliament resolution of 15 March on forced prostitution in the context of world sports events to launch 'a prevention campaign targeting potential victims and informing them of the risks and dangers of becoming caught up in human trafficking networks and thus becoming victims of forced prostitution and sexual exploitation, and also providing them with information as to their rights and where they can obtain assistance in countries of destination';
the European Community to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings;
the European Union to ensure that all existing and future measures related to trafficking in human beings provides at least the same or preferably stronger protection than the minimum standards set out in the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Amnesty International calls on:
the German authorities to pay attention to forms and venues for trafficking of women and girls expected to be present specifically during the World Cup, including mobile huts with sex workers, potentially including human trafficking victims, placed outside stadiums during and after matches, and to arrest and prosecute those suspected of trafficking;
the German authorities to prepare for the expected rise in human trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation by giving extra support to relevant organisations such as NGOs running hotlines for trafficking victims, shelters for trafficked women and state or NGO run campaigns to inform the German public of the problem of trafficking;
the German authorities not to repatriate women who have been victims of human trafficking without first offering the victims substantial medical, psychological and legal help. This help should not be conditional on their co-operation in legal proceedings against traffickers;
the German authorities to allow victims to remain in Germany for a recovery and reflection period which should be at least 30 days, in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings;
the German Football Federation to continue its support of the nation wide campaign "Final Whistle -- Stop Forced Prostitution" and to use its influence to denounce human trafficking and exploitation of female sex workers in any way that it can.

Amnesty International calls on:
all states which are at risk of being a country of origin for women trafficked during the World Cup to engage in public awareness campaigns regarding the risks of travelling to Germany irregularly during this period, and to support domestic NGOs offering advice and practical support to women who have been trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked;
all states with football fans travelling to Germany to raise awareness of the fact that many sex workers present in Germany during the World Cup may have been trafficked;
all European governments to ensure that reliable information about safe and legal immigration options, as well as about methods used by human traffickers is easily available at all times, especially in the months and weeks preceding the World Cup;
all member states of the Council of Europe to take the necessary steps to ratify and on the European Community to accede to the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings without further delay. So far 25 of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe have signed the Convention; it will enter into force after ten states have ratified or acceded.

Amnesty International calls on:
the international governing body for football, FIFA, to follow PACE's recommendation to "assume its responsibility to condemn the exploitation of women, which sometimes, highly regrettably, accompanies the holding of sports events, and therefore to denounce any activities that threaten human rights".

Public Statement

AI Index: ACT 77/008/2006 (Public)
News Service No: 106
26 April 2006

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