Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06THEHAGUE2581
2006-12-08 15:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:
AMSTERDAM MOVES TO CLEAN UP PROSTITUTION SECTOR
how-toVZCZCXRO0430 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTC #2581 3421513 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081513Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7647 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 1944
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002581
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI
JUSTICE FOR T. MARCH BELL
DHS FOR OIA, SAC/HOUSTON
HHS FOR PEDRO MORENO
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM KWMN PREL NL
SUBJECT: AMSTERDAM MOVES TO CLEAN UP PROSTITUTION SECTOR
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002581
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI
JUSTICE FOR T. MARCH BELL
DHS FOR OIA, SAC/HOUSTON
HHS FOR PEDRO MORENO
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM KWMN PREL NL
SUBJECT: AMSTERDAM MOVES TO CLEAN UP PROSTITUTION SECTOR
1. Summary. On December 1, 2006, the Amsterdam city
council decided to cancel licenses for 110 of the 350
prostitution windows in Amsterdam's Red Light district. The
windows, which are operated by a small number of individuals
who together held 33 licenses to operate them, are scheduled
to be closed by the end of the year. The action was taken
on the basis of information from background checks conducted
on the operators when they applied to renew their licenses.
The windows could be reopened if they are sold to other
operators who can pass the background checks. End Summary.
2. Amsterdam city government's "Van Traa" team, a task
force responsible for combating organized crime in the city,
told us of their intention to close down more than 100
prostitution windows during a July meeting. Shortly
thereafter, the Amsterdam City Council announced that the
city would use the license application and renewal process
to carefully screen the operators of regulated sex
businesses, such as brothels and prostitution windows. The
new procedures were made possible by the 2003 Public
Administration Integrity Act (BIBOB),which authorized
municipal governments to check the criminal records of
license applicants before deciding whether to grant them a
license. BIBOB has become an increasingly popular tool for
Amsterdam and other municipalities to crack down on
organized crime.
3. Previously used only to check the background of new
license applicants, Amsterdam began utilizing BIBOB
background checks this spring for license renewals. The
"Van Traa" team noted that through this intensified
screening Amsterdam expects to reduce criminality, including
drug crime, money laundering and human trafficking in the
city. The screening process covers licenses to operate
hotels, restaurants and bars in addition to licenses to
operate brothels. An Amsterdam government contact told us
that every license in Amsterdam's prostitution sector would
be subject to BIBOB screening by the end of 2007. She said
that the Amsterdam city council is scheduled in the near
future to discuss a proposal to establish a licensing system
for escort services, which would subject the currently
unregulated sector to intensified screening requirements.
4. The National BIBOB Bureau, part of the Justice Ministry,
conducts the actual background investigations on license
applicants. According to the City Council press
announcement, a negative finding by the BIBOB bureau means
there is a serious risk of the license being used for
criminal activities. A negative finding is sufficient to
deny an application to obtain or renew a license, and to
force a business to close.
5. Operators whose licenses have been cancelled have been
notified that they must shut down by the end of the year.
However, closure may be suspended if the license holders
appeal the decision in administrative court. The appeal
process may take several months, during which the
establishment may continue to operate. Together with the
BIBOB bureau, the public prosecutor's office and the police,
Amsterdam will carefully screen anyone who seeks to buy the
licenses of the windows scheduled to be closed.
6. Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen told the press that the City
Council action was a "frontal attack" on criminal activities
in the Red Light district. He stated that, through the
BIBOB Act, Amsterdam can finally take adequate action
against criminal entrepreneurs.
7. Comment. The "Van Traa" team and other municipal
authorities responsible for regulating prostitution have
praised the BIBOB law for giving them the power they need to
more closely scrutinize sex businesses. There is no
indication of human trafficking in any of the windows to be
closed, but the willingness to close roughly one-third of
the windows in the Red Light district demonstrates
Amsterdam's commitment to effectively regulating the sex
sector.
Arnall
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI
JUSTICE FOR T. MARCH BELL
DHS FOR OIA, SAC/HOUSTON
HHS FOR PEDRO MORENO
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM KWMN PREL NL
SUBJECT: AMSTERDAM MOVES TO CLEAN UP PROSTITUTION SECTOR
1. Summary. On December 1, 2006, the Amsterdam city
council decided to cancel licenses for 110 of the 350
prostitution windows in Amsterdam's Red Light district. The
windows, which are operated by a small number of individuals
who together held 33 licenses to operate them, are scheduled
to be closed by the end of the year. The action was taken
on the basis of information from background checks conducted
on the operators when they applied to renew their licenses.
The windows could be reopened if they are sold to other
operators who can pass the background checks. End Summary.
2. Amsterdam city government's "Van Traa" team, a task
force responsible for combating organized crime in the city,
told us of their intention to close down more than 100
prostitution windows during a July meeting. Shortly
thereafter, the Amsterdam City Council announced that the
city would use the license application and renewal process
to carefully screen the operators of regulated sex
businesses, such as brothels and prostitution windows. The
new procedures were made possible by the 2003 Public
Administration Integrity Act (BIBOB),which authorized
municipal governments to check the criminal records of
license applicants before deciding whether to grant them a
license. BIBOB has become an increasingly popular tool for
Amsterdam and other municipalities to crack down on
organized crime.
3. Previously used only to check the background of new
license applicants, Amsterdam began utilizing BIBOB
background checks this spring for license renewals. The
"Van Traa" team noted that through this intensified
screening Amsterdam expects to reduce criminality, including
drug crime, money laundering and human trafficking in the
city. The screening process covers licenses to operate
hotels, restaurants and bars in addition to licenses to
operate brothels. An Amsterdam government contact told us
that every license in Amsterdam's prostitution sector would
be subject to BIBOB screening by the end of 2007. She said
that the Amsterdam city council is scheduled in the near
future to discuss a proposal to establish a licensing system
for escort services, which would subject the currently
unregulated sector to intensified screening requirements.
4. The National BIBOB Bureau, part of the Justice Ministry,
conducts the actual background investigations on license
applicants. According to the City Council press
announcement, a negative finding by the BIBOB bureau means
there is a serious risk of the license being used for
criminal activities. A negative finding is sufficient to
deny an application to obtain or renew a license, and to
force a business to close.
5. Operators whose licenses have been cancelled have been
notified that they must shut down by the end of the year.
However, closure may be suspended if the license holders
appeal the decision in administrative court. The appeal
process may take several months, during which the
establishment may continue to operate. Together with the
BIBOB bureau, the public prosecutor's office and the police,
Amsterdam will carefully screen anyone who seeks to buy the
licenses of the windows scheduled to be closed.
6. Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen told the press that the City
Council action was a "frontal attack" on criminal activities
in the Red Light district. He stated that, through the
BIBOB Act, Amsterdam can finally take adequate action
against criminal entrepreneurs.
7. Comment. The "Van Traa" team and other municipal
authorities responsible for regulating prostitution have
praised the BIBOB law for giving them the power they need to
more closely scrutinize sex businesses. There is no
indication of human trafficking in any of the windows to be
closed, but the willingness to close roughly one-third of
the windows in the Red Light district demonstrates
Amsterdam's commitment to effectively regulating the sex
sector.
Arnall