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Human trafficking and prostitution
The sheet helps you understand your fundamental rights. It also explains the bans linked to prostitution and human trafficking.
Key points of the sheet
- Human trafficking means recruiting, transporting, transferring, housing or receiving a person in order to exploit them. It is forbidden in France.
- Trafficking can take different forms: pimping (proxénétisme), sexual assault or sexual abuse, slavery or servitude. It can also mean being forced into work, forced services or begging.
- Prostitution is the exchange of a sexual act for money. Clients and pimps (proxénètes) can be punished by law.
- There is support for people who want to leave prostitution. They are offered the removal of any penalty and an exit programme (Parcours de Sortie de Prostitution, PSP).
- Buying sexual acts is forbidden in France.
Words to know
- human trafficking (traite des êtres humains)
- It means recruiting, transporting, transferring, housing or receiving a person to exploit them. It is forbidden in France.
- prostitution
- It is the exchange of a sexual act for money.
- pimps (proxénètes)
- They are people who profit from someone's prostitution or who encourage prostitution.
- prostitution exit programme (PSP) (Parcours de Sortie de Prostitution (PSP))
- It is offered to people who want to leave prostitution.
Test yourself: 3 questions
In prostitution, who can be punished by law?
In French, the language of the exam: Dans la prostitution, qui peut être puni par la loi ?
The sheet says that clients and pimps can be punished by law.
What is offered to people who want to leave prostitution?
In French, the language of the exam: Que propose-t-on à ceux qui veulent sortir de la prostitution ?
The removal of any penalty and a prostitution exit programme (PSP) are offered to these people.
In France, buying sexual acts is:
In French, the language of the exam: En France, l'achat d'actes sexuels est :
The sheet says that buying sexual acts is forbidden in France.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (Obligations and duties of people living in France)
- The role of witnesses in cases of violence
- The obligations of a French citizen
- Obligations as a resident of France
Source
Sheet “La traite des êtres humains et la prostitution” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.