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Prostitution: Foreign Workers

Volume 476: debated on Wednesday 21 May 2008

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the number of women working as sex workers in the UK whose countries of origin are (a) other EU member states and (b) overseas states; and if she will give a breakdown of the principal countries of origin in each case. (204939)

Due to the hidden nature of prostitution, reliable statistics on the numbers involved and their countries of origin are difficult to obtain. Estimates suggest that at any one time in 2003 there were approximately 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK. However, no research has been undertaken which would provide either evidence or provide a basis for estimates on the number of women working as sex workers in the UK whose countries of origin are (a) other EU member states (b) other overseas states.