More than ten cases of human trafficking have been under investigation by the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police since April, according to mbl.is.
The cases have ties to every continent and have to do with sex trade, forced labor or arranged marriages, explains Alda Hrönn Jóhannesdóttir, deputy chief of police. She claims women and youngsters have been transported to Iceland from Eastern Europe, China and Nigeria.
Alda was in Utah, U.S., Monday, where 23 officials from countries in Europe, Africa and Central America met to discuss the issue of human trafficking. She told Deseret News in Utah that growing tourism in Iceland has given rise to “sex tourism” and more prostitution.
“Iceland is part of the world and what happens in the world also happens in Iceland. That’s the way it always is. Where there is increased tourism, sex tourism follows,” she tells Morgunblaðið. No statistic is available regarding the extent of trafficking in Iceland. Still, she asserts, it’s on the rise.
“We’re getting reports of prostitution,” she continues, “There is, for example, prostitution in hotels and in Airbnb apartments.” Furthermore, she adds, there are known cases of tourists coming to the country to take part in sex tourism.
