Denmark is primarily a transit and destination country for women and children from Baltic countries , East and Central Europe , Nigeria , Thailand , and South America subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution. There was one report last year [ clarification needed ] of a male teenager from Nigeria rescued from the commercial sex trade in Denmark.
The government did not report any cases of forced labor during the reporting period, though the Danish Anti-Trafficking Center highlighted that workers in domestic service, restaurants, hotels, factories, and agriculture, may be vulnerable to forced labor in Denmark.
There were unconfirmed reports of foreign children being forced to engage in organized street crime. The government released a report in about increasing evidence that " au pair " organizations could be used as front companies for human trafficking. The hundreds of unaccompanied foreign minors who arrive in Denmark every year are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Denmark prohibits both sex and labor trafficking through Section of its criminal code.
Punishments prescribed for trafficking under section extend up to eight years' imprisonment, are sufficiently stringent, and are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.
Police reported conducting a total of 44 human trafficking investigations during the reporting period. Using Section , the government prosecuted 25 people for sex trafficking and convicted 11 sex trafficking offenders in The government prosecuted additional alleged sex trafficking offenders under other statutes, such as prostitution procurement. All 11 trafficking offenders convicted in served some time in prison; none received suspended sentences.
