Facts and Figures - France

The phenomenon of trafficking in human beings - especially sexual exploitation - began to appear slowly in France at the beginning of the 1990's, at which time other countries in Europe were already facing this problem on a large scale. The border cities of Nice and Strasbourg were the first to be touched by trafficking. The massive development of the phenomenon took place in the middle of 1999, first in the big cities and then throughout French territory.

It is important to specify that trafficking in human beings does not only include forced prostitution, even though this is the most visible and stigmatising form. Domestic slavery, forced labor in agriculture, construction, and hotel business or catering, and forced begging are some other forms that are also present in France. Thus, it is difficult to evaluate in a precise manner the extent of the phenomenon. Currently, the only available data concerns prostitution. Criminal proceedings undertaken by the French police and the legal system against procuring provide some indicators.

According to the OCRTEH (Central Office against the Trafficking of Persons), created in 1958, in 2003, 12 000 to 15 000 persons were involved in prostitution in the street, 7 000 of them in Paris alone. 60% of women prostitutes were foreigners. Half of them came from Central Europe, Oriental Europe and the Balkans; and a third from Sub-Saharan Africa (especially Nigeria and Sierra Leone). In addition to this estimate, one must also to count "invisible" prostitution, although it may be occasional, that takes place in "hostess bars" or "massage parlors", via the Internet or classified ads in free newspapers, or by telephone.

The OCRTEH also underlined in its 2003 report that around 80% of women involved in prostitution in large urban areas are under the control of pimps.

Proceedings against procuring in 2003 in France

709 persons were suspected of procuring, 600 of them being men.
In 2003 as well as in 2002, 58% of these suspects were foreigners. (In 2001, foreigners accounted only for 48 % of persons suspected.)
33% of foreigners suspected were originally from Central and Oriental Europe: 10% were Romanians, 8% Bulgarians, 4% Albanians and 3% were Serbian-Montenegrin.
The increase in the number of persons of foreign origin is linked, among other factors, to the disappearance of visas needed to enter France. In order to better tackle criminal networks, France is currently developing bilateral cooperation agreements with relevant countries.

Victims connected to proceedings against procuring in 2003

900 victims of penal infringement were located, of whom 882 were women and 79% were foreigners.

Victims originally from Central and Oriental Europe account for 44% of the total number of victims and 56% of the total number of foreign victims.

Victims from Sub-Saharan Africa represent 27% of the total number of victims and 30% of foreign victims. Victims from Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan countries are growing in number. The absence of bilateral cooperation between these countries appears to be one of the reasons for this increase.

Economic poverty, a lack of opportunities in their home countries, and strong attraction to the Western European way of life induce women and men, often very young (between 18 to 25 years old), to apply for expatriation. The difficulty in doing so is that legally this makes them very vulnerable. They are ideal prey for criminal organizations involved in trafficking in human beings. In France the victims, mostly women, have often been sold several times between leaving their home villages and finding themselves on the streets of big western cities. They have to endure continuous pressure and violence from the networks that enslave them. The profit generated by trafficking is very high. It is at least equivalent to that of drug smuggling. In 2000, a French parliamentary commission inquired, into modern forms of slavery in France. The work was published in a 2001 report that became an important reference source. According to the report, profits generated by sexual exploitation is between 100 000 to 150 000 euros per victim per day.

Thanks to this work done by the commission, the criminalisation of trafficking in human beings has been introduced into French law, as well as legal measures and other forms of aid for victims. However, these measures still remain somewhat insufficient and vague.

The complete report can be downloaded (in French) at the following site:
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/legislatures/11/pdf/rap-info/i3459.pdf

France's policy regarding counter-trafficking and providing assistance to victims remains unclear. Questions related to law and order, and the control of illegal migration, interfere all too often with the question of trafficking in human beings.