La Strada Documentation Center

Male victims of human trafficking in Austria

Document number
3109
Date
2014
Title
Male victims of human trafficking in Austria
Author/publisher
Men’s Health Centre MEN
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Guidelines/Recommendations, National Law, Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
human trafficking, exploitation, migration, human rights, male victims, trafficking of men
Summary
Austria is a destination and transit country for human trafficking, a crime that is primarily resulting in working conditions close to slavery. This includes begging, organized thievery, and prostitution, as well as exploitation in the agricultural or construction industries. Human trafficking not only affects women, children and young people, but also men.

Already in 2011 and in collaboration with LEFÖ-IBF, the Men’s Health Centre MEN (Männergesundheitszentrum), which was commissioned with this research project, created a concept for the development of a supportive programme focusing on male victims of human trafficking. This is in accordance with EU anti-trafficking strategies that provide for the establishment of effective victim protection facilities.

As a basis for our research we drew on data on male victims of human trafficking already gathered in other European countries. Additionally, data from international organizations and results of interviews with members of victim protection facilities and the UNODC Department for Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling have been included.

Aside from that, media analysis and interviews with experts and practitioners have been undertaken to further outline the issue of male victims of human trafficking and labour exploitation – a topic that hasn’t really been brought into the spotlight so far. This report aims to assist the Austrian Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking in planning further steps since improvement both in identification as well as protection of male trafficking victims is strongly required.