Municipalities found more illegal sex work in pandemic years

Dutch municipalities shut down more and more illegal brothels as the coronavirus pandemic stretched on, municipalities and a spokesperson for the police said to NU.nl. The coronavirus restrictions shut down brothels, and there was little opportunity for other sex work, which is likely why sex work moved more into the illegal circuit.

"We expected a decrease in sex work, but the opposite happened," the police spokesperson said to the newspaper. Municipalities found sex workers working illegally in residential houses, office buildings, massage parlors, and hotels.

The Hague closed six buildings due to illegal sex work last year, compared to one in 2020. Amsterdam intervened in 49 locations last year and 27 the year before. In 2020, Rotterdam closed 23 buildings and imposed five fines. Last year the port city closed 49 buildings and imposed ten fines.

Last year, over a quarter of Dutch municipalities dealt with sex workers working without a permit, the newspaper wrote based configured from the Ministry of Justice and Security. A third of municipalities reported human trafficking and unlicensed prostitution.