Katrin Adams, the executive officer of the KOK, a German NGO which works to end human trafficking and violence against migrating women, said in an interview that Germany can do more for victims of human trafficking. The KOK has 37 member organizations, which lobby the government to better address the issue of female exploitation in Germany. The NGO also critiques government reports and presses for higher standards in combating trafficking in women at the national level.
There were 642 officially known victims of trafficking in Germany in 2005; however, Mrs. Adams believes that the actual number is much higher. Most of the women are from Eastern Europe. They are brought to Germany with the promise of a restaurant or a bar job and then forced into prostitution. Those women who know that they will be working in the sex industry are unprepared for the exploitative conditions on the ground. Women’s rights advocates call for more efficient procedures to prosecute traffickers. They also would like the victims to receive permanent residency in Germany, along with medical treatment, education and access to the labor market.
Compiled from: "Expert: Germany Can Do More for Victims of Human Trafficking," Katrin Adams interviewed by Emma Wynne, Deutsche Welle, 23 July 2007.