From late December 2006 to early March 2007, I spent ten weeks in the Global Issues Section at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. This internship provided a venue for qualitative research about human trafficking in a policy environment.

Through my research, I examined the collected statistics about trafficking victims, as well as analyzed the health care services available to prostitutes and trafficking in persons (TIP) victims in the Netherlands. I collected data via in-depth interviews with six service providers. Through interviews with embassy staff, I collected information regarding the embassy's work on this issue as well as subsequent impacts of this work
.
Embassy staff generally act as intermediaries between the two governments on trafficking-related policies. The last several years has seen a renewed focus on TIP, including legalization of brothels in The Netherlands in 2000 in part, to combat trafficking. One staff person identified the establishment of the Department of State's TIP report as a motivating factor for the Dutch to strengthen their focus on trafficking.

Interviews were conducted with TIP victim service providers, as well as services targeted at sex workers and ethnic minorities. Inclusion of these two populations is essential; most victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation end up working in the prostitution sector, and most foreign-trafficked women are minorities and struggle with cultural and language barriers.

The government funds health clinics specifically for reproductive health, and some specifically for sex workers. Two interviewed organizations perform outreach activities within the red light districts; they educate women about health issues, conduct free clinics, and also sometimes help identify trafficking victims. Another organization develops programs designed to improve the cultural competence of service providers in addition to maintaining an information center with books and other types of information about migrant and refugee health. This service has improved awareness about the varied needs of migrants, including trafficked women.

The biggest strength of the Dutch system is the coordinated network of service providers. The organizations know each other, and work closely with each other to ensure that all of the needs of victims are taken care of. Victims are provided with care and assistance from the time they are identified (and even before, in some cases of outreach work) until the time that they either repatriate back to their country of origin, or establish permanent residence and integrate into the community.

It would seem as though extensive care is par for course in The Netherlands; the family I rented a room from provided much needed background into the political, health, and educational systems during our late night dinners together. They taught me the secrets of the local market and olie bollen (literally, oil balls!), a deep-fried Dutch treat reserved for New Year's.

I was fortunate that my research often took me into other areas of the country. Holland is a beautiful, welcoming country. I biked all over The Hague, saw bits of Rotterdam, walked through the center of Amsterdam, and visited a 600 year old church in Utrecht, all in the course of my regular meetings!

Clarissa Phillips, MPH Intern and BRAVO! Participant