Belgium is mainly a transit and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of economic and sexual exploitation. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation affects mostly nationals of Nigeria, Thailand and Eastern European countries. It involves organised networks for Nigerian, Asian prostitution and some Eastern European prostitution as well as individual exploiters. Nigerian prostitution rings are operated by international and large scale criminal networks, using exchange programmes of victims in various European countries.
There is a decrease in visible prostitution, and an increase in dissimulated forms such as private housing, escort services, massage salons. Internet is used to recruit new sex-workers, to diverse sex-services, to make publicity and to dispatch victims over different countries.
Trafficking for the purpose of economic exploitation occurs in various economic sectors: agriculture and horticulture, construction, restaurants and cafes, cleaning industry, carwash, night and phone shops, horse riding schools, domestic work and others. As regards trafficking for the purpose of domestic servitude, cases of exploitation in private households of diplomats accredited in Belgium have been brought to the attention of the authorities. Belgium has implemented a comprehensive and integrated approach of human trafficking with specialised actors police officers, labour inspectors, prosecutors, specialised shelters for victims, Immigration office.
For more information on trends, cases, jurisprudence and challenges: see Myria , the Belgian Federal Migration Centre and its reports in English. In Belgium adopted the Law of 13 April concerning the fight against trafficking in human beings. This law has been amended in , and Also a specific scheme for providing aid and assistance to victims of trafficking in human beings was in the nineties introduced in Belgium.
The following years, trafficking in human beings remained a priority for Belgium and different legislative instruments and tools were developed. Relevant legislation can be found on the website of Myria in French and in Dutch. On 10 August a new law on trafficking in human beings was adopted law of 10 August amending various provisions with a view to reinforcing the fight against human trafficking and against the practices of slumlords.
