Helpline offers assistance in francophone Switzerland
5 August 2008 - Virtually every country is affected by human trafficking; either as an origin, transit or destination area for victims. Switzerland is no exception. According to the office of the Federal Police, in 2002, an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 people were victims of trafficking in the country. The situation has not improved.
Launched by the campaign "End Human Trafficking Now!" and non-profit Friends of Humanity, a free and confidential helpline is now available for victims of trafficking in the Geneva area. The first such service in francophone Switzerland, the helpline aims to detect victims and provide them with specific help they may need.
"Our analysis of the situation in Switzerland was such that we felt compelled to set up such a service," says Graziella Zanoletti, founder of Friends of Humanity. "This helpline will enable victims who don't dare call the police, to receive real help in a confidential manner and with no fear of being expelled."
In the first two months, the helpline received around forty relevant phone calls of which eight were identified as human trafficking cases. Of different nationalities, the victims were forced into prostitution and domestic labour. They were recruited in their countries of origin by friends, relatives or through job offers in a local newspaper. Once in Switzerland, they were trapped and exploited by their traffickers. Anonymous calls by a witness or friend to the helpline resulted in their freedom.
Through the service, victims can receive shelter, social and psychological assistance, medical help and legal counselling. Help is offered in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
The helpline is accompanied by an awareness-raising campaign to educate the public on the issue and encourage individuals to provide relevant information that might help uncover cases of trafficking and assist victims. While the project focuses on Geneva and its surroundings, its impact is expanding and reaching other areas of Switzerland and into neighbouring France.
So as to provide victims with the best assistance possible, the helpline team is expanding its network of contacts with assistance facilities in francophone Switzerland. The helpline is already recognized by all social services in the region.