Human trafficking in the hotel industry in the Netherlands: the fine line between service, responsibility and liability

Abstract

Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of organised crime and the biggest source of income for criminals in Europe. Within the prostitution sector, there is a shift towards less visible forms such as hotel prostitution. About half of all prostitutes working in the Netherlands are victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The hotel industry runs the risk of liability and reputational damage, and has a moral responsibility to prevent and combat human trafficking in hotels. This paper examines the risks of human trafficking for the hotel industry from three different perspectives. The first is the marketing perspective: what commercial risks exist for hotels in relation to human trafficking? The second is the legal perspective: when does a hotel bear criminal liability in relation to human trafficking? The third is the ethical perspective: where does the moral responsibility of a hotel in relation to human trafficking begin and end? In conclusion, the paper describes risk mitigation measures already taken by the hotel industry, as well as the public/private collaboration between the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department (Nationale Recherche), and the hotel industry to prevent and combat human trafficking in the Dutch hotel industry.

Keywords: forced prostitution, hotel industry, human trafficking, moral responsibility, public/private collaboration, sexual exploitation