Ex-post evaluation

This study was requested by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM ) in November 2018 and is a follow -up to a European implementation assessment carried out by EPRS in 2016 on the Human Trafficking Directive (2011/36/EU). It goes into greater detail than an EPRS briefing on the topic published in February 2019.

The study focuses on the issue of trafficking in human beings in the specific context of hotspots, i.e. first reception facilities for migrants and/or refugees in Greece and Italy. During the course of the eighth parliamentary term , the European Parliament stressed the need to improve early identification of victims of trafficking at EU borders and to adopt more gender- sensitive policies in this context. This study presents the state of play relating to these challenges.

From the Executive Summary:

Situation in Greece:

The hotspots in Greece are in Chios,  Kos,  Leros,  Lesvos  and  Samos.  In  March  2016 Greece concluded an agreement with Turkey, according to which all new irregular migrants and asylum-seekers  arriving from Turkey and whose applications for asylum have been declared inadmissible should be returned to Turkey. This means that asylum-seekers are stranded on the islands, in the hotspots for longer periods of time, and living conditions have worsened, with overcrowding. The situaiton makes children and women especially vulnerable. There is an expedited procedure for nationals of countries prejudged to be producing 'economic migrants', which also means that screening for vulnerability remains limited. " Overall, in spite of recent efforts to detect victims of trafficking in hotspots (including the adoption of dedicated procedures and of a functioning system of guardianship for unaccompanied children), in Greece there is a high probability that many victims remain undetected."

Situation in Italy:

The hotspots in Italy are: Lampedusa, Mess Pozzallo and Taranto. In February 2017 Italy concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with Lybia in order to stem the influx of refugees. This  led  to  a  significant  decrease  in  arrivals and the hotspots are empty, except for Messina that hosts 23 people.  Also, Italian hotspots only serve registration, security screening  and  immediate  assistance  purposes so people only stay a few days here. On the other hand, the risk of trafficking and exploitation shifted with the agreement to Lybia, of which repeated reports have been published citing slavery, gang rape, arbitrary detention and trafficking. The EU and Italy have both been called upon to provide adequate support to Lybian authorities so they ensure the respect of human rights of all migrants and asylum seekers.

Publication type
Author
Amandine Scherrer
Total pages
48
Countries this relates to
Projects and thematic pages

Childhub

You might like..

0
492
Standard Operating Procedures for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking and Potential Victims of Trafficking, hereinafter the Procedures, are drafted to implement the Strategy for the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings and its Plan of…
0
7
These guidelines are based on international human rights instruments and look at the protection of trafficked children from their identification up to their recovery and integration. They shall be used together with other guidelines and tools…
0
49
Human trafficking is often seen as a pre-existing problem and it can be even abandoned during the natural disaster and the emergency. However, for traffickers, each disaster signals a sudden availability of potential prey. In order to, minimize and…
0
4
Trafficking in human beings in conflict and post-conflict situations is a subject on which little research has been conducted, and which is seldom addressed by the stakeholders tasked with supporting displaced people and/or refugees. In the field,…
0
18
These Guidelines set out standards for good practice with respect to protection and assistance of child victims of trafficking from initial identification up until the final integration and recovery of the child. These Guidelines provide a…
yes
0
51
About the webinar: This webinar will share the experience of the UK in relation to identifying child victims of trafficking, safeguarding children and trying to disrupt child trafficking. We will outline our trafficking, modern slavery and…
0
23
In Serbia, most victims of trafficking are children, mostly girls. According to the official statistics of the Centre for Human Trafficking Victims’ Protection, 102 child victims of trafficking were formally identified in the period 2017-2020,…
0
In countries around the world it is common practice for victims of trafficking who have been “rescued” or who have escaped from situations of exploitation to be placed and detained in public or private shelters. The term “detention” refers here to…
0
5
This new Strategy does not duplicate the National Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, which remains in force, but considers the issue of trafficking in children in a more comprehensive way, within the context of the National Strategy,…
0
252
The Convention on the Rights of the Child provides the necessary standards for the protection of all children under 18 against trafficking (prevention of trafficking) and for special protection measures for those children who end up being…
0
2
This report presents the results of 12 months of active research and training activities carried out with delegations from 13 European countries. (…) IOM carried out national research on legislation and practices related to the identification and…
0
5
The paper with its three main components (“Assistance and Protection of Trafficked persons”, “Residence Regimes and Asylum for Trafficked Persons”, “Victim Protection Tailored to the Needs of Children”), which are interlinked and complementary,…
0
41
Special mechanisms and measures to protect victims of trafficking when they act as witnesses should be established and implemented. The special rights and status which should be accorded to trafficking victims must be preserved whether or not they…
0
37
This year Open Gate La Strada celebrated 20 years of its existence and continuous work and support of victims of trafficking in human beings. This publication is in dedication to all victims of human trafficking who have received help and support…
0
9
The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) for this year's World Refugee Day (20th June) has published a new guide on the international protection of people, who are being trafficked. It aims to provide…