Similar concerns were raised in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in , when it was estimated that up to 40 women might be trafficked into Germany β a figure widely reported in the media, but later found to be grossly inflated.
There is little evidence of a link between major sporting events and increased levels of human trafficking for sexual purposes, with few exceptions. Over the course of the World Cup, authorities reported only five cases of trafficking directly linked to the tournament out of 33 criminal investigations.
However, such statistics may mask the true scale of the risk. Although an increase in sex trafficking offences could not be confirmed, German authorities did note a higher number of sex workers during the World Cup.
One outreach worker in Berlin said that the World Cup had seen influxes of Eastern European sex workers, with local sex workers becoming the minority.
Germany and sex trafficking. Germany is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, although the country has put in place a number of initiatives to combat it.
