Spain implemented a law against human trafficking in 2010 and further tightened it in 2015. Following the establishment of the legal framework, authorities cooperated with security forces, prosecutors, judges and NGOs to fight human trafficking. Between 2012 and 2016, 5,675 victims of human trafficking related to sexual exploitation and unpaid labour were identified. In 2016 alone, 1,046 victims were rescued. Often, women are forced into prostitution and fear coming forward against their traffickers as they threaten to harm their families. Language barriers and a lack of networks in a foreign country add to the vulnerability of trafficking victims.

Women from various countries in South East Asia and Africa are lured into prostitution in Hong Kong by traffickers under false pretences of receiving a job in a restaurant or another sector. Traffickers often approach single mothers without a family network and who live in poverty. Women are forced to pay off alleged debts related to their visa, travels, and living expenses by prostituting themselves. Having their passports confiscated binds them even more to their traffickers in a foreign country.