Germany has become a key hub for organized human trafficking involving Chinese women in prostitution, according to a new report from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). The 2024 National Situation Report on Smuggling Crime warns that criminal networks are using legal entry routes to bring women into the country under false pretenses.
Legal Entry, Hidden Exploitation
Investigators say many of the women enter Germany through visa-free third countries such as Serbia or by using fraudulently obtained EU documents. Once in Europe, they are moved across borders through several stopovers before reaching German cities, where they are expected to work in prostitution.
According to the BKA, these women often appear to act voluntarily but are financially and socially dependent on their so-called employers — usually fellow Chinese nationals who control housing, advertising, and finances.
Authorities say the entire system is managed digitally. Encrypted chat platforms are used to arrange travel, set schedules, and discuss payments. These online networks link women directly to handlers in China and Germany, who organize apartments, client bookings, and pricing.
The BKA describes this as a new form of organized smuggling crime, exploiting legal migration paths for illegal purposes.
Life in Appointment Apartments
Many of the women end up working in so-called appointment apartments — private flats where prostitution is arranged on a day-to-day basis. According to the report, these operations are said to be mutually agreed upon and temporary, but investigators say the reality looks very different.
Operators often set prices, manage advertisements, and handle accounting, while taking up to 50 percent of the women’s income. Because most of the women have no legal work permits, they are easily exploited and rarely report abuse for fear of deportation.
Authorities describe this as systematic facilitation of illegal residence, since the business model depends on the women’s uncertain legal status.
The BKA recorded 7,954 smuggling cases in 2024, a small increase of 0.4 percent compared to the previous year. However, the number of suspects rose more sharply — by 6.3 percent — reaching 7,607 individuals. Officials say the smuggling of migrants, including those for sexual exploitation, remains a major challenge for German law enforcement.
At the same time, the report notes a decline in general illegal migration, partly due to stricter border controls in Serbia since October 2023.
Few Rights, High Dependence
For many of the Chinese women, life in Germany’s underground sex industry means long working hours, high deductions, and no legal protection.
Without valid work papers, they cannot access healthcare or report exploitation safely.
Investigators say this dependence makes them easy targets for traffickers who advertise the illusion of freedom and high earnings, only to trap them in cycles of debt and fear.
Experts say Germany has become both a destination and transit country for human trafficking from Asia. Similar patterns are now being seen in neighboring countries like Austria and the Netherlands, suggesting that organized smuggling networks are expanding across Europe.
The BKA has called for closer international cooperation, more proactive inspections of private prostitution apartments, and better protection programs for victims who come forward.