In January 2022, a man and woman from Dalfsen were arrested by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee for plotting human trafficking from Europe to the United Kingdom. 250 other similar arrests took place in the Netherlands in 2021. But what kind of motives do human traffickers have to commit these crimes? Richard Staring, Professor of Criminology at Erasmus School of Law, states to the Stentor that these actions do not always carry a financial motive.
There is an increase in the number of human trafficking incidents in the Netherlands. In 2021 there was an increase of forty percent compared to 2020. Although human trafficking is a lucrative business, this does not have to be the reason for participating in it, says Staring: “Money is an important motivation sometimes, but sometimes it is not. You certainly have those big money-hungry organisations, but in many cases, human trafficking involves small groups of friends, acquaintances, or family members who are being helped to get from point A to point B. In this case, it can be considered a favour for friends, or an action taken for humanitarian reasons.”
It is not clear whether the man and woman from Dalfsen will receive punishment, and if so, what punishment they will receive. The maximum penalty is six years in prison. The final punishment depends on the number of people that were trafficked and other aggravating circumstances. The fact that the suspects did not yet act will also be taken into account in the prosecution and is probably a mitigating circumstance, according to a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service.
- Professor
- More information
Read the complete article here (in Dutch).