Dutch NGOs critical of Amsterdam city plans to curb prostitution

At the end of 2007, the mayor of Amsterdam proposed urban renewal plans for the red light district with the aim to reduce window prostitution and restrict the remaining windows to one zone in the district. Additional laws are proposed to fight pimping practices. The plans, it is argued, will restore the ‘monumental' character of the historical city centre, tackle crime and in particular fight human trafficking into the sex industry.

La Strada Netherlands (CoMensHa), BLinN (Bonded Labour in the Netherlands) and LSI published a statement criticising the plans to restrict prostitution with the argument to counter trafficking. The organisations believe that the city's plans will not tackle the problem of human trafficking, nor will they address exploitation or improve the rights position of sex workers. Attempts to restrict prostitution can lead to pushing sex workers into unregulated city districts and work settings. This in turn will increase the risk of exploitation and rights violations, and therefore increase the risk of trafficking. In the Netherlands, the sex industry is regulated by a licences system under municipal law, which provides a range of instruments to prevent and end exploitative situations, to improve the working conditions and rights situation of sex workers and to fight trafficking. The signatories, which have extensive working knowledge of the anti-trafficking and forced labour field, urge the city of Amsterdam to implement existing anti-trafficking and prostitution policies rather than devising new restrictive legislation and closing down legal places of work.

See the LSI website for the full statement.

[Indietro]