Human trafficking has increasingly been viewed as a violation of human rights over the past ten years and is being fought against by numerous actors at both national and international levels. Nevertheless, politics and society have yet to achieve positive results in the fight to curb this phenomenon. Annette Huland investigates the causes of this issue. To do so, she traces the emergence and development of the discourse on human trafficking in Germany, while also considering the European and international context from the late 19th century to the present day. In the process, she uncovers concerning gaps. Huland's thesis is that these gaps facilitate the instrumentalization of the discourse on human trafficking and even hinder efforts to combat it. Huland questions the underlying conflicts of interest, particularly in the areas of prostitution regulation.