Two South African researchers on Monday warned against inflated fears of human trafficking during next week's 2010 World Cup, saying sensational projections were not backed by research.

Don't sensationalise World Cup trafficking: S.African experts

Two South African researchers on Monday warned against inflated fears of human trafficking during next week's 2010 World Cup, saying sensational projections were not backed by research.

"In order to gain attention for the problem and deal with something that's regarded as a terrible human rights violation, we trot out statistics that often have no basis in fact," Chandre Gould, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies.

An International Organisation for Migration (IOM) investigation after the 2006 World Cup in Germany had found no trafficking spike and that estimates of an influx of 40,000 sex workers were unfounded and unrealistic, she said.

"They even concluded that there was no credible data to link trafficking and major sporting events. I think we need to keep that in mind," Gould told a seminar on trafficking and sex work during the tournament.

"We don't know what's going to happen in South Africa but there is no particular reason to believe that it's going to be any different in South Africa. We're going to have to wait and see."

South Africa has beefed up anti-trafficking measures, including proposing its first direct legislation, and has set up regional police coordinators and task teams ahead of tournament that begins June 11.

President Jacob Zuma on Friday warned against child trafficking during next month's World Cup, saying the tournament gave criminals an opportunity to trade in women and children.

Marlise Richter, an associate researcher at the Forced Migrations Studies Programme at Wits University in Johannesburg, also warned against sensationalisation which she said diverted important resources.

Richter is investigating whether the tournament sparks an increase in the supply or demand of paid sex before, during and after the tournament.

The study will be the first baseline information established before a major sporting event, she said.

"We decided that the World Cup in South Africa presented an important opportunity," she said.

The study will focus on three host cities -- Johannesburg, Cape Town and Rustenburg -- and will follow 60 sex workers for four months and survey 1,800 others.

u00a0

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels