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Decriminalisation vs. legalisation

Decriminalisation is different from legalisation. Decriminalisation (New Zealand) involves the removal of all prostitution-specific laws; sex workers and sex work businesses operate within the laws of the land as other businesses. Under legalisation (Germany, Netherlands, etc.) the sex industry is controlled by the government and sex work is legal only under certain state-specified conditions, creating a two-tier system where the most vulnerable sex workers remain illegal and outside of the protection of the law.

For more information please see our statement here