Payment for sex outlawed in France

It took more than two years to pass the controversial legislation because of differences between the two houses of parliament over the issue.Some sex workers protested against the law during the final debate.

The demonstrators outside parliament in Paris, numbering about 60, carried banners and placards one of which read: “Don’t liberate me, I’ll take care of myself”, the AFP news agency reports.

Members of the Strass sex workers’ union say it will affect the livelihoods of prostitutes, estimated to number between 30,000 and 40,000.

But supporters of the law have said it will help fight trafficking networks.It will also make it easier for foreign prostitutes to get a temporary residence permit in France if they agree to find jobs outside prostitution.

“The most important aspect of this law is to accompany prostitutes, give them identity papers because we know that 85% of prostitutes here are victims of trafficking,” Socialist MP Maud Olivier, who sponsored the legislation, told the Associated Press news agency.

French MPs have passed a law that makes it illegal to pay for sex and imposes fines of up to €3,750 (£3,027, $4,274) for those buying sexual acts.

Those convicted would also have to attend classes to learn about the conditions faced by prostitutes.