On 18 October, the EU Anti-Trafficking day, the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children published the Annual Human Trafficking Figures for 2024. These figures show that a total of 944 victims of human trafficking were reported to the Coordination Centre against Human Trafficking (CoMensha) in 2024. That is 76 more than in 2023. According to the National Rapporteur, the increase in the number of victims reported should mainly be seen as a step in the right direction.
It is striking that the number of reports of underage victims of human trafficking has increased sharply and that the majority of them are victims of criminal exploitation. “The actual number of young people compelled to commit criminal offences is likely to be a lot higher. It is therefore important to work on identifying these underage victims,” the National Rapporteur contends.
Exploitation of foreign minors not yet visible in registrations
Underage victims of criminal exploitation are young people who, for example, have to make their debit cards available for criminal purposes, to plant explosives, or to transport or sell drugs. Many of the underage victims identified had Dutch nationality. However, the National Rapporteur is increasingly aware of concerns about criminal exploitation of unaccompanied foreign minors in the asylum system, as expressed by organisations like the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), the NIDOS Foundation, the municipalities, social workers and the police. Having said that, these concerns have not yet been reflected in the number of actual registrations this year.
More Ukrainians victims
The annual human trafficking figures also show that more Ukrainians were identified as victims in 2024, primarily of labour exploitation but also for sexual exploitation. The fact that they are fleeing a protracted war and are uncertain about their future in the Netherlands makes them vulnerable. “Although it is a serious matter that more Ukrainians became victim, it is positive that the authorities are aware of this and that interventions can take place which target this vulnerable group,” explains Conny Rijken.
Again rise in the number of Latin American victims of sexual exploitation
The figures also show that, once again, Latin American victims are frequently targeted for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Their exploitation often takes place in hotels and holiday homes. The people who sexually exploit this group of victims generally move them frequently from one location to the other in the Netherlands or Europe every few days or weeks. These working and living locations are arranged via booking sites. Alternatively, the victims may be housed and put to work on holiday parks.
Number of criminal investigations into sexual exploitation continues to decline
The number of criminal investigations into sexual exploitation continued to decline in 2024, as did the number of identified suspects. Primarily, the number of investigations into domestic sexual exploitation dropped. This decline in the number of criminal investigations is already resulting in fewer cases being filed with the Public Prosecution Service. The National Rapporteur considers this to be a worrying development. On a positive note, the percentage of cases referred to court by the Public Prosecution Service has increased.
The number of criminal investigations into international sexual exploitation has also fallen in 2024. “This is alarming because the number of victims of this kind of human trafficking is increasing. The police are following up less and less on indications of exploitation if that exploitation did not take place, or only partly took place, in the Netherlands,” Conny Rijken argues. Research into the background and context of such reports apart from a criminal procedure, will lead to more insight into international criminal networks. That insight can then be shared with investigative agencies in the Netherlands and other countries and used to identify and apprehend perpetrators.