Anti-Trafficking Policy: Warning Signs and Where to Report

What is our position on trafficking and coercion?

Our position is zero tolerance: we work only with adults who apply for themselves and act of their own free will, and any sign of coercion, control or exploitation ends the process immediately, regardless of how far it has gone.

In practice this means three firm rules. We only work with women aged 21 and over, and we check age with an official document. We only talk to the woman herself: nobody can apply, negotiate or receive money on her behalf. And nobody connected to us ever holds a woman's documents, lends her money against future work or tells her where, when or how much to work. Anything that looks like exploitation or control ends the conversation with us at once.

Which warning signs do we watch for in applications?

In applications we watch for signs that someone else is in control: a third person who speaks for the applicant, documents held by someone else, debts to whoever arranged the contact, or an applicant who cannot talk freely or alone.

None of these signs proves anything on its own. But each one is a reason to stop, to talk to the woman alone and to make sure she knows where to find help.

Are you being pressured yourself?

If someone else decides whether, when or how much you work, takes your money, keeps your documents or makes you feel you cannot stop, you are not in a free working situation, and you have the right to get help.

Pressure does not always look like violence. It can be a partner who says he is "helping" and keeps the earnings, a debt that never gets smaller, or someone who threatens to tell your family. You do not have to be sure that what is happening to you is called trafficking. The services below advise confidentially, many of them in several languages, and they help you work out your options without forcing you into any step.

What should others look out for?

Others, such as clients, hotel or venue staff, landlords or friends, should look out for the same signs: a woman who seems controlled, frightened or never alone, who does not have her documents or who is not allowed to keep her money.

If you are a client and something about a meeting with any provider worries you, do not confront anyone. Leave, and contact one of the services below or the police. If you booked through us and something seemed wrong, tell us as well. You do not need proof to report a concern; specialists will assess it.

Where can you report trafficking or get help?

You can get help and report concerns through specialist services in each country. In an emergency, call 112, which works across the EU, in Switzerland and in the UK.

All numbers below were checked in October 2026.

The national police can also be reached on 110 in Germany, 133 in Austria, 117 in Switzerland and 999 in the UK. You can contact any of these services without involving us.

What do we do when we suspect trafficking?

When we suspect trafficking, we stop the application or collaboration immediately, try to speak to the woman alone, make sure she knows where to get confidential help and, if anyone is in immediate danger, call emergency services.

1. Stop: no further steps, no bookings, no payments, whatever stage the process has reached.
2. Talk alone: if it can be done safely, we speak to the woman without the third person, calmly and without pressure.
3. Point to help: we give her the contact details of the specialist service in her country, which can advise her confidentially, also about her rights and protection.
4. Act in danger: if someone is in immediate danger, we call 112 or the national police.
5. Cooperate: we cooperate with the competent authorities and specialist services, and we do not contact or warn suspected perpetrators.
6. Record: we note what we observed, so that the information is available if authorities need it, and keep it confidential.

We do not always call the police first, because a report made over the head of the woman concerned can put her in greater danger. Specialist services know how to protect her, and they work with the police when that is the right step.

How does the way we work prevent exploitation?

The way we work makes exploitation harder: we deal only with the woman herself, never hold documents, charge no upfront fees, pay cashless to her own account with an invoice, and respect every no without consequences.

Debt and dependency are the most common tools of exploitation. An agency that charges nothing upfront creates no debt. Payment into the woman's own account, with documents in her name, means nobody else can take her earnings unnoticed. And a culture in which declining requests and stopping are normal leaves no room for the kind of pressure that traffickers rely on. More on this in our trust principles.

What else should you know?

Human trafficking is a serious crime in every European country, and authorities and specialist services work against it together. In Germany, the officials you meet at your registration appointment also pay attention to signs that someone is being pressured, and the counselling centres of the KOK network can explain what protection and support exist where you live.

General information, not legal advice. Binding answers come from the authority and a local advice centre.