Suspicion of human trafficking during training – Vietnamese trainees in Berlin disappear without a trace

More and more young people from Vietnam are coming to Germany to begin training – particularly in the catering and hotel industries. However, disturbing cases are currently piling up in Berlin: Vietnamese trainees with supposedly valid language certificates are suddenly disappearing from vocational schools , many without a trace. Behind these cases is apparently a murky market of private recruitment agencies that mixes the recruitment of skilled workers with massive exploitation .

Fake language certificates and overwhelmed vocational schools

The Brillat-Savarin School in Berlin-Weißensee, one of the largest vocational schools for the hospitality industry in Germany, currently has around 700 Vietnamese trainees. However, according to school administration and trade unions, a large proportion of these young people have significant language difficulties – despite an officially certified B1 language level, which is a prerequisite for a training visa. Many teachers report that teaching is barely possible and that entire classes are sometimes canceled. Particularly alarming is that a third of the Vietnamese trainees suddenly stop showing up for class. No one knows where they are. Trade unionist Sebastian Riesner of the NGG speaks openly about cases in which those affected end up in nail salons or even prostitution to pay off their debts. The reason for this is apparently fake language certificates offered for sale online. Both the Goethe-Institut and Vietnamese authorities have long warned about fraud networks that sell fake certificates to pave the way for young people to come to Germany. They then enter the country with inadequate language skills and high debts – a fatal combination that easily drives them into dependency and exploitation.

A market of exploitation – private placement agencies under suspicion

Most Vietnamese trainees are brought to Germany through private placement agencies . These agencies often advertise in Vietnam on social media, promise "quick placement," organize contracts, language tests, and visas—and demand sums of up to €20,000 for this. For many families, this is an existential investment that they can only finance through debt. According to Gerrit Buchhorn, head of the Berlin-based Dehoga (German Hotel and Restaurant Association), there is an entire "placement market" that is almost impossible for German companies to monitor. Employers receive placement offers weekly—often without a clear origin or verifiable credibility.

Migration expert Mimi Vu , who has been researching human trafficking in Vietnam for years, speaks of an "internationally organized network" that brings young people to Germany under the guise of training. The combination of fake certificates, debt, and a lack of government oversight, according to Vu, fosters a system that "has more to do with modern slavery than with recruiting skilled workers." Legal gray areas and the need for action by politicians and businesses

Officially, according to the Federal Employment Agency, around 16,000 Vietnamese are currently completing training in Germany , almost 2,000 of them in Berlin. However, the number of those who drop out of their training or disappear is unknown. The Federal Criminal Police Office has already confirmed isolated indications of labor exploitation of Vietnamese trainees. Unions and employers are therefore urgently calling for regulation of the placement processes. The Berlin Dehoga association is demanding a central control system that separates reputable agencies from dubious ones. The NGG also demands that the placement of foreign trainees should be carried out exclusively through state-authorized bodies – in particular the Federal Employment Agency. This is the only way to ensure that young people do not end up in precarious or even criminal structures.

Conclusion: Recruiting skilled workers needs protective mechanisms

This case is a warning sign for skilled immigration to Germany. Anyone who wants to attract qualified trainees must rely on transparent, legally compliant, and verifiable procedures. Private intermediaries without oversight open the door to human trafficking – with serious consequences for those affected, the companies, and trust in the immigration system as a whole.