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Fewer sex workers on the streets of Barcelona, but overactivity in clubs and apartments. The sector has changed since the Covid pandemic. What is the profile of prostitutes in Barcelona? Elements of response.
Image de couverture : association the Place of the Woman-Oblate Sisters
The big brothels that made the (sad) image of Barcelona with the fluorescent neon lights from another era are extinct. The places are closed. Pimps now act more discreetly, but still illegally, making the dismantling of exploitation networks by law enforcement much more difficult.
The prostitutes in Barcelona are rarely Spanish, but more often women from other countries, dragged into this sordid merry-go-round. According to the police brigade in charge of human trafficking in Barcelona: “These are young women, often mothers, who sometimes started with cybersex in their hometowns. They meet a recruiter who offers them the opportunity to come to Spain with the guarantee of earning a lot of money. Once here, they are moved from one apartment to another”.
These women, who are generally migrants with few resources, have taken on debt of 3,000 to 8,000 euros to finance their trip. They must now work under the control of pimps to repay the sums.
Prostitutes are also (often) mules
It’s also the big return of Madame Claude. Pass apartments are run by women or small groups who launder money through other businesses, such as beauty salons or barbers.
Between January and October 2024, the Mossos d’Esquadra handled 38 cases of sexual exploitation, including 18 involving minors. Some women were also forced to carry cocaine in their bodies.
One of these police raids was made possible thanks to the testimony of a Colombian woman. She had to prostitute herself by force and was officially declared by her sex captors as a home help for the elderly.
Although the police have dismantled this network, the practice remains common in Barcelona, even more so during the holiday season with the influx of visitors.
