The Salvation Army International

Over the past two years, The Salvation Army in Europe has implemented the Safe Havens project to strengthen transnational co-operation, with the aim of providing 'safe havens' for (potential) victims of trafficking. This project has been co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union.

This project is just one example of how The Salvation Army is building its capacity – together with its network partners – to effectively respond to the needs of (potential) victims of trafficking. On a daily basis we witness despair, poverty, pain-filled lives, fear, brokenness. To the best of our abilities we side with (potential) victims of trafficking trying to support them in finding a way out, to re-integrate them into their community, re-affirming their God-given human dignity.

Part of the EU-project has been the production of the Safe Havens film. This film takes us on a road trip across Europe to discover what The Salvation Army and its partners are doing in the fight against human trafficking. The film can be viewed below.

The film is part of a sustainable training programme for officers, staff and partners of The Salvation Army to learn about prevention, protection and reintegration programs for (potential) victims of trafficking, and about transnational cooperation between EU and non-EU countries in Europe.

In the film we travel with Madeleine Sundell, a Swedish human rights lawyer, and Galina Chetroi, a Moldovan expert on human trafficking and The Salvation Army's liaison officer for Eastern Europe. Both are working in anti-human trafficking prevention and repatriation projects. They take us on a road trip to Moldova, Sweden, Romania, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and England where they meet practitioners involved in anti-human trafficking and discover specific ways of fighting trafficking in these countries. It demonstrates various ways that trafficking takes place across borders and boundaries.

The film presents intimate testimonies and stories of vulnerability and strength, told by survivors of trafficking, The Salvation Army officers, a police officer and a trafficker.

The Safe Havens film appeals to all of us to take a stand and speak out on behalf of the thousands of (potential) victims of trafficking. So that together, as an Army, we can challenge the evil of modern slavery in our societies!

Jeroen Hoogteijling
Chair Europe Anti-Human Trafficking Network, January 2019

Co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union

About the Safe Havens project

The Salvation Army (TSA) is deeply committed to establishing 'safe havens' for victims of trafficking, where their lives can be restored and where they can receive the support they need for rebuilding their lives. The main objective of the Safe Havens project has been to (re)integrate particularly vulnerable victims in the local community by making optimal use of the existing infrastructure of TSA's Europe anti-human trafficking (AHT) network.

Short description of the project implemented activities

Research, development and replication of a legal support programme for (undocumented) non-EU victims of trafficking in partnership between TSA Netherlands and TSA Sweden. A succesful pilot programme was carried out in Stockholm, incorporating existing best practices of legal support to undocumented victims of trafficking in the Netherlands.
Strengthening transnational cooperation with non-EU countries with a primary focus on the Romania/Moldova/Ukraine/Georgia/Russia region. An AHT liaison officer has been appointed, based in Moldova, as a stable linking pin within the wider TSA Europe AHT network dealing with cases of victims in EU host countries coming from this region.
Development and implementation of a sustainable training programme for AHT national contact persons and fieldworkers. For this purpose an educational film has been produced, advanced training has been provided to key officers and staff (with a primary focus on the Romania/Moldova/Ukraine/Georgia/Russia region), and TSA Europe AHT national contact persons have been trained.
Research and development of a care programme for (undocumented) Roma minor victims of trafficking, including a BID policy and Return and Integration framework plans.
Development of a training manual for frontline workers operating in emergency relief in the refugee crisis to train frontline workers about risks of trafficking among refugees and how to offer basic support. Training has been provided to TSA Europe AHT national contact persons.

Key results of the project

Transnational cooperation through the existing TSA Europe AHT network and its stakeholders has been strengthened. Through training, capacity building, development of programmes and concrete tools TSA Europe AHT network as a whole has become better equipped to (re)integrate non-EU victims of trafficking. More in-depth knowledge has been acquired about the context and best practices for particularly vulnerable groups like undocumentend victims of trafficking, Roma minor victims of trafficking and refugee victims of trafficking.

Impact on the target groups or other groups affected by the project

The Safe Havens project has led to further concrete ways of support to (undocumented) non-EU victims of trafficking towards their sustainable (re)integration. During the project phase this has already become visible on a small scale (pilot legal support programme Stockholm, case management liaison officer Moldova, care programme Roma minor victims of trafficking) and, through the sustainable implementation of the programmes, is expected to have a much wider impact in the years to come.

Available project materials

Legal buddy project for undocumented victims of trafficking

'Finding a Way Out' – A qualitative research on the patterns after exploitation in the Netherlands amongst Nigerian and Ghanaian victims of Human Trafficking (English)

Transnational cooperation

Leaflet Anti Human Trafficking liaison officer of The Salvation Army in Eastern Europe (English, Georgian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian)
A research report on lessons learned in Romania and their particular relevance for the Republic of Moldova (English, Romanian)

Sustainable training programme & educational film

Safe Havens film - a road trip across Europe to discover what The Salvation Army and its partners are doing in the fight against human trafficking (in English, and subtitled in Romanian and Russian)
Safe Havens film trailer (in English)
Safe Havens film booklet (in English)
Safe Havens film training toolkit (in English)

Roma minor victims of human trafficking

Research report: 'The protection of unaccompanied Roma children on the move, potential victims of criminal exploitation' (Dutch)
Summary of research report (English)

Risks of trafficking among refugees

Training manual 'Risks of trafficking among refugees' for frontline workers (in English, Greek, Italian, Arabic, Farsi)
Video Refugees as part of training manual (in English):
Red card – signals of trafficking for refugees (in English, Arabic, Eritrean)

Tags: Anti-trafficking