Last year marked a record high number of cases of human trafficking in Switzerland, a support group for female migrants reported on Monday.
The “Advocacy and Support for Migrant Women and Victims of Traffickingexternal link” (FIZ) group said in its annual report that it recorded 255 cases in 2019, 169 of which involved women.
The victims came from countries including Nigeria, Hungary, Afghanistan, and Romania, and were often destined for the prostitution industry, FIZ said. However, a growing number are also being trafficked for work in private homes or the accommodation sector.
Cases were reported in 14 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. More than one-third of the trafficked women were asylum seekers who sought protection after arriving in Switzerland.
As part of its work, FIZ provided support and counselling to 61 such victims in 2019. The Zurich-based group works with church groups to provide care for victims of trafficking.
In 2018, the group recorded 108 new cases of human trafficking in the country.
SOURCE: SwissInfo
