More and more sex workers are opting for private reception and are increasingly using guest rooms via online platforms. Owners and neighbors are not always aware of what is going on in their building. It is precisely this anonymity that attracts foreign sex workers, but that also has a downside. After all, organized human trafficking remains more easily under the radar, writes Gazet van Antwerp on Thursday.
According to the Federal Judicial Police (FGP), (foreign) sex workers are increasingly booking a room via online platforms such as Booking.com or Airbnb. “Especially in the big cities, the phenomenon is extremely popular,” it sounds.
“Certainly in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Hasselt, eight out of ten checks show home reception in a tourist residence,” says a researcher. “Those who work illegally prefer not to be noticed. That is why many sex workers only stay at one location for a few days and then move to another tourist residence. This prevents neighbors from noticing anything,” it sounds.
Aid organization Payoke is also concerned about the increase in sex work from tourist accommodations. “This problem must be tackled at European level. After all, it concerns large international platforms that facilitate this and that are active all over Europe,” it says there.
At the Belgian federal level, the special parliamentary committee on human trafficking already took a first step on Wednesday. In her recommendations, she aims for a plan to combat human trafficking in both the hotel sector and short-term tourist rentals.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
