BERLIN: Security guards at Berlin shelters are encouraging refugees to go into prostitution, German public television has reported, sparking outrage with Berlin saying Wednesday it was taking the allegations 鈥渧ery seriously.鈥�
The explosive claim was made in the program 鈥淔rontal 21鈥� which aired late Tuesday on broadcaster ZDF.
Citing security firm employees, social workers and residents, the program said guards at several shelters in the capital had persuaded refugees to take up sex work, including minors.
One security officer responsible for several shelters even spoke of a 鈥減rostitution ring,鈥� with young men especially sought after.
鈥淔rom the age of 16 upwards, the younger they are, the more expensive,鈥� the source told the program makers.
Another employee said he made 鈧�20 ($23) for acting as the middleman in setting up the sexual encounters.
A 20-year-old Afghan asylum seeker said a security guard had told him he could earn 鈧�30 to 40 鈥渇or sex with a woman,鈥� and he was desperate for money.
鈥淚 am ashamed of what I do but I have no choice,鈥� he told ZDF.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the 鈥渧ery, very serious鈥� accusations of procurement needed to be investigated.
鈥淲e have to take this very seriously because it is totally unacceptable to exploit the material hardships that many refugees and migrants are in,鈥� he told reporters at a regular press briefing.
鈥淚t would be morally reprehensible if they were forced into prostitution.鈥�
Elke Breitenbach, a Berlin official responsible for social affairs and integration, told ZDF that local authorities did not yet have any 鈥渃oncrete indications鈥� of such cases.
She called on police and prosecutors to probe the allegations.