The physical and mental health of prostitutes in Utrecht who used to work on the city’s boat brothels has deteriorated since the closure, according to a new report.

The floating brothels were closed in 2013 when the five brothel owners lost their licence because of concerns they were involved in human trafficking. Efforts by prostitutes to take over the boats and run them independently failed.

A report by the centre for information and research on organised crime says the council was over-hasty in shutting the brothels and that hundreds of prostitutes have been forced into the illegal circuit.

‘The council closed the boats because of reports about human trafficking but by putting the prostitutes on the street, they have become more at risk of being trafficked and exploited,’ criminology professor Dina Siegel told the NRC.

In April, the city council advertised for prostitutes, brothel managers and investors to come forward and work with officials in planning the city’s new red light district.