An international definition of the term human trafficking can be found in the so-called Palermo Protocol (Article 3, a), an additional protocol to prevent, combat and punish human trafficking, in particular women and children, to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime:

 “[T]he term “trafficking in human beings” means the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or reception of persons through the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, through kidnapping, fraud, deception, abuse of power or exploitation of special privileges Helplessness or by giving or receiving payments or benefits to obtain the consent of a person who has power over another person for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation includes at least the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or servitude, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Human trafficking and exploitation are defined in the German Criminal Code (Section 18) as crimes against personal freedom.  Since 2016, German lawmakers have been implementing the EU directive on combating human trafficking and protecting its victims (2011/36/EU).

 
Since then, the German Criminal Code has included the following criminal offenses and defines them as crimes against people's personal freedom as guaranteed by the Basic Law:

 § 232 StGB human trafficking

 § 232a StGB forced prostitution

 § 232b StGB forced labor

 § 233 StGB Exploitation of labor

 § 233a StGB Exploitation using deprivation of liberty

This takes into account the various facets of the complex field of human trafficking: sexual exploitation and forced prostitution as well as exploitation of labor in various fields of work, forced begging, exploitation of criminal acts and organ trafficking.

Those affected by human trafficking primarily come from precarious socio-economic and violent living conditions. Migrants and refugees in particular become victims, but German women are also affected, especially through the so-called lover boy method. The perpetrators deceive the - often very young - women into a romantic relationship and make them emotionally dependent in order to ultimately push them into prostitution and exploit them.

The International Labor Organization ILO assumes that around three quarters of those affected by human trafficking and forced labor worldwide are women and girls. Over 90% of those affected by forced prostitution are women. However, an above-average number of men are affected by other forms of forced labor.

Source: FIM,  Frauenrecht ist Menschenrecht (Womens rights are human rights)