Human trafficking: Germany only average when it comes to protecting victims

According to the United Nations, over 2.45 million people are victims of human trafficking, and the number of unrecorded cases is also believed to be significant. Therefore, many countries have increased their efforts to combat trafficking and to protect the victims. DIW Berlin recently updated the 3P Anti-Trafficking Policy Index which facilitates an international comparison of government policy efforts in three areas: prosecution, (victim) protection, and prevention. The update of the Index now covers the period from 2000 to 2011. On a worldwide scale, countries have generally shown high commitment towards implementing prosecution policies, and the most significant improvements have been observed in preventive efforts. However, many countries fail to ensure the protection of trafficking victims. By international standards, Germany performs well when it comes to prevention and prosecution. However, it has failed to protect the victims of trafficking and, over the past year, this situation has further deteriorated.