German authorities report a record high in investigations related to human trafficking and exploitation. Completed investigations in this area reached an unprecedented level in 2024, according to data released Thursday by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). A total of 576 investigations were concluded – a rise of more than 13 percent compared to the previous year.
A significant focus within these completed investigations is sexual exploitation, with 364 cases representing a new ten-year high. Notably, this form of exploitation is increasingly occurring in private residences – an area that is difficult to monitor and suggests a considerable number of unreported cases. The consequences for victims are often severe.
Victims and suspects of sexual exploitation frequently originate from outside Germany, with a marked increase in cases involving individuals from China and Colombia. The majority of victims are women and young people, often including minors.
Online contact remains a key factor in initiating exploitation, alongside emotional manipulation, such as the “Loverboy” method. This involves a perpetrator establishing an emotional dependency on a younger victim, often through a fabricated romantic relationship, before leading them into prostitution and financial exploitation, increasingly accompanied by psychological and physical violence.
Investigations into labor exploitation also reached a new high. These cases often involve temporary employment agencies and primarily affect individuals from Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Approximately one-third of all labor exploitation investigations were initiated by the Financial Control Unit for Illegal Employment, a division of the customs authority.
Human trafficking and exploitation are largely considered control crimes, with a substantial portion of investigations triggered by proactive policing activities, predominantly through routine checks. Many victims do not contact authorities due to fear or a lack of awareness regarding their legal rights, contributing to a significant number of unreported cases.
Minors are particularly vulnerable, with over 200 investigations registering children and adolescents as victims of exploitation. Of these, 195 cases involved commercial sexual exploitation. Contributing to the rising numbers is the limited protection mechanisms present on various online platforms, which facilitate the exploitation of minors via the internet. In two instances, children were offered for sale online.
Suspects involved in human trafficking and exploitation often belong to organized crime groups and operate internationally. This is reflected in the increased number of victims originating from non-EU countries, according to the BKA.
