Trafficking of Children: Council of Europe Experts Highlight Widespread Problems
Official Media Release:
In its latest annual report, published today, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), has highlighted important shortcomings in a number of European countries related to the trafficking of children.
The report shows that 4,361 children were identified as victims of trafficking in just 12 European countries between 2012 and 2015. Many others have failed to be detected and protected, due to gaps in the identification procedures, a failure to appoint legal guardians and the lack of appropriate and secure accommodation.
GRETA’s report shows that, on average, children represent a third of the identified victims of human trafficking, but there are important variations between countries. Children are being trafficked transnationally, as well as internally, for different forms of exploitation including sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, forced begging, forced criminal activities and forced marriage.
GRETA highlights widespread problems with identifying child victims of trafficking and providing them with safe accommodation. Many children are not being given the support they are legally entitled to, says GRETA, and some are still being punished for crimes they are forced to commit.
The report also underlines that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, but the authorities often have little or no information on the identification of victims of trafficking among such children.
GRETA is responsible for assessing countries’ compliance with the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
Today’s annual report summarises GRETA’s monitoring work over the last year, which has particularly focused on trafficking in children. It also gives examples of many positive changes which the convention has helped to bring about, as well as good practices in the area of child trafficking.
Notes
Examples of states taking steps to improve anti-trafficking legislation, policy and practice in the light of GRETA recommendations include the following:
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· Albania has updated legislation to criminalise trafficking in men and women as well as knowingly using the services of a victim of human trafficking ; · Austria has increased the penalties for trafficking for trafficking in human beings as well as setting up a drop-in and counselling centre for undocumented migrants workers and a specialised support structure for male victims of trafficking ; · Bulgaria has introduced a new provision on the non-punishment of trafficking victims for offences they were forced to commit as well as developing action plans in the areas of gender equality, violence against children and Roma integration ; · Croatia has criminalised acts relating to travel and identity documents intended to facilitate human trafficking · Cyprus has introduced a comprehensive new anti-trafficking law as well as broadening and strengthening the mandate of the Police Office for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings ; · Denmark has developed awareness-raising campaigns and guidelines to help tackle labour exploitation and to support police and prosecutors in anti-trafficking work ; · Georgia has changed its legislation to provide for social and legal assistance to child victims of trafficking and temporary residence permits, as well as setting up a unified trafficking database; · The Republic of Moldova has strengthened the Permanent Secretariat of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and commissioned external evaluations of two national anti-trafficking action plans ; · Montenegro has amended its Criminal Code to include additional forms of exploitation linked to trafficking as well as introducing a new law granting a 90-day recovery and reflection period to victims; · Romania has further developed the training provided to relevant professionals, including border police, and set up joint investigation teams with a number of other countries ; · The Slovak Republic has adopted a new procedure for identifying victims of trafficking, with a view to enabling their access to state-funded assistance, as well as introducing a new provision on the non-punishment of trafficking victims forced to break the law ; · The United Kingdom has adopted a new Modern Slavery Act, consolidating and simplifying the offences previously contained in a number of different laws, increasing the maximum sentence for trafficking offences and making it easier to confiscate traffickers’ assets. |
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