Conference Summary: Meeting of the EU Civil Society Against Trafficking in Human Beings
by Vera NYGARD
Meeting of the EU Civil Society Against Trafficking in Human Beings
Considerations for The Salvation Army:
- Roma communities are particularly vulnerable to trafficking due to social structures. As TSA works closely with Roma and in their communities, providing information on the risks of trafficking is of high importance.
- When raising awareness, TSA can consider targeting not only the general public, but also authorities and political actors on a national level. Trafficking is a complex issue and civil society has an important role to play in combatting it.
- Creating contacts and networks with actors on ALL levels of anti-trafficking might seem daunting, but TSA works directly with victims and can provide beneficial information from its experience.
For the first time, the meeting of the EU Civil Society Platform Against Trafficking focused on sexual exploitation and gender aspects in trafficking. EU Trafficking coordinator Myria Vassiliadou has often emphasised that this form of trafficking does not get enough attention on an EU level, and therefore welcomed this approach. Vassiliadou stressed that there are some areas where we are stuck and where we are simply not doing well. The prevalent culture of impunity and the lack of access to rights for victims shows that we still have work to do. The national and transnational coordination mechanisms also need strengthening.
Some of the main points highlighted in the meeting were:
- Trafficking is a crime that is strongly connected to violence against women. You cannot speak about trafficking without considering the gender dimension at play.
- Trafficking is undeniably linked to prostitution. Sexual exploitation ultimately derives from men’s attitudes towards women. Not all prostitutes have been trafficked, but nearly all trafficked women are sexually exploited through prostitution. The demand for sexual services in Europe is massive, which is why prostitution is difficult to tackle. In Sweden, were purchase of sexual services is a criminal offence, there has been a positive change in attitudes amongst men.
- We should always be on the side of the victim and defend her rights. Matters related to victims’ rights require coordination on all levels, and cross-border cooperation should be strengthened. Victims often end up criminalised more than the traffickers.
- Traffickers are rarely punished for their offences. Trafficking is a low-risk, high-profit crime, which is why it can flourish. This calls for more training of frontline officials, law enforcement and judicial actors, as they often are not able to recognize trafficking offences. The current legal framework is sufficient as it is, but implementation is severely lacking. Monitoring processes should therefore be more clearly directed.
- Trafficking is also linked to poverty and social issues. Most girls who are sexually exploited come from poor conditions, and Roma communities are therefore very vulnerable to trafficking. Providing education and awareness of risks in these communities is of particular importance.
Conclusions
The second anti-trafficking platform meeting of 2019 focused on sexual exploitation. Trafficking-coordinator Myria Vassiliadou has often emphasised that this area of trafficking does not get enough attention, and therefore welcomed this focus. “Our policy is now mature. We have been working on it for a long time with different actors, and now we just need to look at how to make the measures and implementation more efficient.” Vassiliadou stressed that there are some areas where we are stuck and where we are not doing well. The prevalent culture of impunity and the lack of access to rights for victims shows that we still have work to do. The national and transnational coordination mechanisms also need strengthening.
The European Commission does not have a legal obligation to consult civil society, but it realises the benefits of obtaining information directly from the people who are working on the ground with and for victims. Vassiliadou stressed that a lot of what’s being said in these meetings are reflected in the Commission progress reports, and provides important input for policy development.
Tags: Europe