Adult work and escort jobs have always flourished in Switzerland, but what about the Romanian sex workers

Romanian sex workers face exploitation in the 3 billion euro Swiss sex industry

The regulation of prostitution and the protection of those working in the industry are controversial issues throughout Europe. Adult work is flourishing in Switzerland, and although the sexworkers from Romania work voluntarily in this industry on paper, they are at the mercy of pimps and human traffickers. Libertatea's investigative report presents the situation in Zürich, where former prostitutes and civilians who support sex workers were contacted.



In an international investigative project, the Romanian news outlet Libertatea examined what happens to Romanian women who work as sex workers in Switzerland. Switzerland remains one of the countries in Europe with the most lax laws on prostitution, yet tens of thousands of women, many from Romania, are brought here, often through partnerships between business groups and human trafficking networks. Libertatea investigated the extent of the phenomenon with Swiss journalists from izzy Projects in Zürich, their published material is part of the EqualVoice project and is about the fate of Swiss sexworkers, many of whom are Romanian.

The business was valued at 3.5 billion Swiss francs (3.54 billion euros) in 2015

Prostitution has been legalized in Switzerland since the 1940s and decriminalized since 1942: if it is carried out voluntarily, it is considered an independent economic activity. However, most forms of human trafficking, forced prostitution and proxenetism remain illegal. According to human rights organizations, however, all these activities related to prostitution, which are classified as crimes, continue to take place unmolested in the country.

• The number of victims of human trafficking in Switzerland increased by 50% between 2019 and 2021.
• Prostitution of minors was banned only 10 years ago: until 2013, it was the only European country where it was legal to pay for sex with a 16-year-old girl. Today, the minimum age is 18.

According to all statistics, Romania is one of the top countries of origin for sex workers, along with other Central and Eastern European countries, as well as Nigeria and Thailand. Romanians also lead the list of persons placed under the protection of the Swiss state, as the cross-border fence networks threaten their lives. But only a few hundred women are under protection, which is a small number compared to the phenomenon, anti-trafficking organizations claim.

In an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung at the end of last year, the head of Interpol Jürgen Stock, spoke about how criminal organizations often supply the Swiss sex industry with girls who are minors or just over 18 years old.

The Swiss press often deals with vulnerable sexworkers in the media

"Yet people here pretend they don't see it. And what's worse, the police are extremely tolerant. It's about the money. About a lot of money, with money laundering networks and a lot of violence," said pastor Peter Widmer, who, together with his wife Dorothée, is the founder of the Heartwings NGO. The organisation has been supporting people working in prostitution since 2008.

“We work in the red light districts and every day we meet people with broken hearts and broken dreams. Our logo and the name Heartwings express our belief that change is always possible," said the pastor. The headquarters of the NGO is located directly on Langstrasse, the main street of Zürich's red-light district. The volunteers are in constant contact with sex workers, who receive help, food vouchers, they offer clothes and for many even a new life.

"For the first time in my life, I can say that I am at peace," says Maria at the organization's headquarters. The Romanian woman is over 40 years old and has been working on the street for a long time. "Italy, Spain, Germany, that's how I raised my child. Now I dream of bringing him here with me.” Maria, a former sexworker, now works for the NGO Heartwings: she has worked in the field for many years in Zürich. "The pressure of having to earn the money for the room every day is killing me. Plus the money you have to send home and to live on. I didn't have a pimp, but I had problems with the networks. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Even in 2023, pimps who exploit sex workers by force or using the loverboy method still cause problems

According to on-site documentation by Swiss investigative journalists, proxenetism and running networks rule over thousands of girls, although they work independently on paper. In theory, they pay rent, taxes, and are protected by the law. In fact, say the members of Heartwings, it is about women being coordinated and exploited by networks, and society does not acknowledge what is going on.

15,000 francs per month is the income of a single apartment where the girls work

In such a system, Maria paid up to 150 francs a day for rent, and a guest's fee started at 50 francs for half an hour. "You count too, every day. When you're 20, sure, it's easier, but as you get older, it gets really hard. Three, four, five girls live in an apartment where customers go. They are scattered in Switzerland, jumping from one place to another. The owners of the apartment receive a rent of 500 Swiss francs per day, and receive an amount equivalent to 15,000 francs per month. Huge, 8-10 times an average income. They are not just real estate dealers, but actually exploiters." - according to Maria, even the police often don't want to know about this erotic job.



Maria is now employed by Heartwings. She completed a cleaning course and has a diploma, she says proudly. And she has an address in an apartment provided by the organization. During working hours, she takes German lessons in order to fully integrate into Swiss society. This is the first time in my life that I feel good, repeats Maria.

"Lobby groups for animals have been formed in the parliament, this is very good. But there are no lobby groups for trafficked girls. On the contrary, here they are lobbying for the maintenance of this system, which generates hundreds of millions of euros for certain interest groups here in Zürich alone," said those involved when asked by Romanian journalists.

Peter Widmer, head of Heartwings, also pointed out: "If you abuse an animal, the police will come immediately, but these women are left without help because the police turn a blind eye."

The Scandinavian model, which has proven its effectiveness in several European countries

According to the journalists, the activities of human rights organizations, the police, lawyers and scientists often consists only of the search for the persons who control and run the prostitutes from the background, and on the other hand, they are guardians of the prostitutes, which degrades them to the level of incapacitated minors.

The so-called Scandinavian or Nordic model, which introduced a complete ban on the demand side, while the other (legal model) places the institution of prostitution on the basis of full legality – the latter is currently used in several countries of Western Europe (e.g. Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands) too.

According to the official Swiss position, the more visible sex work is, the safer it is. They do not consider it a good policy to further regulate prostitutes, who, according to them, chose this work by their own decision. What's more, they say that even if we want to limit them, it won't reduce demand and supply, it will just make the sex industry less transparent.

Who do they benefit and who is against sex boxes in Switzerland? Do they really help those doing adultworks?

In theory, the drive-through sex boxes in Zürich sound like a great solution for those who do adult work in Switzerland. Rooms with showers and security alarms that can be rented for a few francs a night appear to be an effective, affordable and safe way for sex workers to protect themselves and their sexy job business without having to fear violent pimps. Two months after their creation, sex boxes are really celebrated by everyone as a great success.

Everyone except those who actually use them.

Today, there are more than 20,000 registered sex workers in Switzerland, who practice their profession in one of the many red-light districts, private houses, FKK clubs, Laufhaus, salons, villas, brothels or on the streets. Of course, like everything in Switzerland, this sexjob is also strictly regulated and meticulously organized.

• Prostitution is not only legal, but also an independent economic activity - it is taxed and regulated in the same way as any other industry in Switzerland.

Sex workers must have health insurance and a work visa in order to apply for the necessary permits from the government. Most importantly, sex workers must declare that they enter the field voluntarily; everything else is considered human trafficking.