The rental platform Airbnb signed an agreement on Friday to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking in the accommodation it offers, during the Olympic Games this summer in Paris and after. This agreement was concluded with the Interministerial Mission for the protection of women against violence and the fight against trafficking in human beings (Miprof), which is piloting the 2024-2027 national plan devoted to this issue.
In a press release, Miprof recalls having already signed a similar agreement at the end of March with the Gîtes de France network in order to better prevent situations of exploitation, particularly sexual, during the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11), Paralympic Games (August 28). -September 8) and beyond. “Although incidents of this type are very rare on the platform given the volume of reservations made, Airbnb is committed, through this long-term collaboration, to supporting the efforts undertaken by the sector and public authorities to put an end to to the exploitation and trafficking of human beings (…), and in particular the use of accommodation for the purposes of pimping,” explained the American giant in a press release.
Airbnb is committed to raising awareness among its community of hosts and travelers. The platform and Miprof have thus created the “Responsible Traveler’s Guide” to help travelers identify and report any situation of exploitation in the building or neighborhood where they are staying. Miprof will also train Airbnb assistance teams, which is at the same time committed to strengthening its cooperation with the police and justice. “This agreement with Airbnb is major given its central position in the tourism industry,” said the general secretary of Miprof, Roxana Maracineanu, quoted in the press release.
In December, in an interview, the former Minister of Sports spoke of a “high risk” of human trafficking during the Olympics, affirming the desire of the public authorities to send “a clear message of firmness” to the networks. “Prostitution is not necessarily going to happen in the street, or downstairs in hotels given that we have a fairly vigilant hotel chain. What concerns us is housed prostitution, inside apartments,” she stressed. Accommodations rented on Airbnb are in fact regularly found at the heart of pimping cases, with criminal networks preferring these discreet accommodations to deliver women into prostitution.