Human trafficking in Portugal – The Portugal News

The document, which was approved by the Superior Council for Internal Security, chaired by the Prime Minister, indicates that Lisbon, Beja, Santarém and Porto were the areas where the most investigations were registered related to labour exploitation of foreign citizens.

“There was a slight decrease in the number of victims flagged in terms of labour exploitation, however, it can still be inferred that it is the type of exploitation with the highest number of cases”, the document advances.

As for sexual exploitation, the RASI states that the number of flagged victims registered a decrease in 2021 compared to 2020.

“26 minors were flagged as presumed victims of trafficking in Portugal, 10 classified as pending/under investigation, three as unconfirmed and 13 flagged by NGOs/other entities”, the report also indicates.

According to the RASI, of the 23 valid records, the presumed victims are mainly male minors, from European Union countries, especially Romania, who were to be exploited for the purposes of adoption, domestic servitude, begging, practice of activities criminals and sexual exploitation.

As for adults, the report adds that 273 people were identified as alleged victims of trafficking, which represents an increase of 87 compared to the previous year, mostly from African countries, among which Morocco stands out.