00:01Spain, July 2025.
00:05Over 150 trafficked women are liberated by police
00:08in one of the largest operations
00:10by Spanish law enforcement in years.
00:13Still, it's only the tip of the iceberg
00:15in the fight against human trafficking.
00:18They beat you, lock you up, rape you.
00:21In summer, the number of sex workers
00:23in Spain's vacation hotspots skyrockets,
00:26often by up to 50%.
00:29The government doesn't want to hear it,
00:31but Mallorca has become a destination for sex tourism.
00:36The Spanish sex industry is a billion-dollar business,
00:39and one with many diverse players.
00:43All of a sudden, it's 10 Chinese massage parlors
00:47within 500 meters.
00:51We take a look behind the scenes of the sex industry in Mallorca,
00:54going undercover to find out how human traffickers operate.
00:59and what that means for the women affected.
01:06White beaches, blue sea, sunshine.
01:09Mallorca in summer.
01:12Peak tourist season.
01:14A paradise on Earth,
01:15especially for the many German tourists here.
01:18But there's a dark side to the island.
01:21For some vacationers,
01:22it's about more than just sun and sand.
01:25Everything is for sale,
01:26from table dance clubs down the promenade
01:28to street prostitution in the back alleys.
01:31Yesterday, a few of them tried to chat us up and take us with them.
01:38But I said no, of course.
01:41We've only been here two days,
01:43so I can't say if there'll be more.
01:46But I think it's not an uncommon thing here.
01:48I think there are certain people here who do that sort of thing.
01:55The Spanish government estimates that there are over 150,000 sex workers in the country,
02:05one of the highest numbers in all of Europe.
02:07On the Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, there are around 8,000.
02:13The number of sex workers per capita is the highest here.
02:17Local aid organizations say almost all are migrants without residence permits.
02:22Jaume and his colleague Serafin help them through difficult times.
02:26Today, they're checking on a safe house their organization has been renting on the island.
02:30We've built a model of tourism based on alcohol, drugs, fun, without inhibitions.
02:43The system of prostitution fits perfectly.
02:47In refuges like this, they can at least find some respite.
02:53According to official figures, around 80% of sex workers are victims of human traffickers.
02:58Their threats are very real.
03:02They often threaten to murder the women's family members in their home countries.
03:06You never see them.
03:08You don't know where or who they are.
03:11But you can always feel their presence.
03:14In the park, we meet a woman who herself fell victim to human trafficking,
03:18willing to speak anonymously.
03:20She got out many years ago but stayed in contact with people in the business
03:24and knows just how brutal it is.
03:25I was just in contact with two prostitutes this morning.
03:31It's all a big business.
03:36If you mistakenly hide money, they will beat you until you're fainting.
03:43Mark your body.
03:45They will lock you inside, rape you, do different things.
03:49She tells us that the business has been changing for some time.
03:56There were once just a few places you'd find sex workers.
04:00A few streets and brothels.
04:02Today, they're everywhere.
04:03Online, we find over a thousand sex workers in Mallorca alone who offer their services in private apartments.
04:14We also find massage parlors cropping up all across the island.
04:18Many of these are located in the Son Armadas district in Palma, Mallorca's capital.
04:22Here, we meet with a resident who is increasingly suspicious of the parlors.
04:30Here in the neighborhood, there are suddenly ten Chinese massage parlors, all within 500 meters.
04:40In the last two months, four more have opened, and many other places have the same problem.
04:48Officially, these places have a license as a beauty salon.
04:53What they do behind closed doors is hard to prove.
04:57It's very difficult to prove.
05:01We go undercover in one of them, with a hidden camera, arranging an appointment for a massage.
05:11We want to find out if they offer sexual services.
05:15Indeed, a young woman openly lists several sexual acts available for an extra few euros.
05:20A *** job costs extra, 50 euros. A *** job is 100. What do you say?
05:33We say we want to look at the rooms first.
05:39They're unassuming, well maintained.
05:43What strikes us as unusual is that instead of massage tables or mats,
05:47we see small rooms with normal beds.
05:53During the tour, the woman tries to persuade us to make a booking.
05:58We make up an excuse and leave the salon.
06:03In the center of Palma, we meet with Inspector Juan Lemos Hoffen.
06:07We want to find out what the Spanish police know about the salons.
06:10It's a complicated issue.
06:19We can't just enter a room during a massage, if you know what I mean.
06:25We do regular checks to see if the documents are in order.
06:29We also try to talk privately with the women.
06:34But usually, none of them admit that sexual services are involved.
06:41Additionally, the inspector explains, you have to prove that someone else is profiting from the work.
06:48Only then is sex work a crime under Spanish law.
06:51They are, however, keeping an eye on human traffickers on the island.
06:56Some of them are people of Asian origin who partner with locals.
07:01This way, they have good contacts on the island.
07:04And also have people in their home countries who recruit and transport new victims.
07:10Aid organizations look favorably on the police's increasing commitment here.
07:17Still, law enforcement is only one tool in the fight against sex trafficking.
07:22The local authorities often focus on penalties and public appearance.
07:29So you sometimes wonder if it's just about making prostitution less visible.
07:34What we really need is to educate young men and women so they can critically engage with the topic.
07:46In the end, it's a battle for the island's identity.
07:50For Nina Parron, Mallorca's future should be built on its sun-drenched beaches and warm hospitality,
07:56not on the burgeoning sex tourism trade.
08:04God bless you all.
08:05Enjoy your deرب.
08:07During this time, we call itstyled down Mr. Woodsroot for a felon.
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