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1st LD Writethru: EU report calls for renewed efforts to fight human trafficking

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The European Commission on Thursday adopted a report tracking progress in the fight against human trafficking, calling on European Union (EU) member states to step up their efforts.

The report found that in 2013-2014, 15,846 women, men, girls and boys were registered as victims of trafficking in the EU.

Given the complexity of reporting on this phenomenon, the actual number of victims is likely to be substantially higher than those registered by national authorities.

According to the report, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is still the most widespread form. Over three quarters of the registered victims were women, while at least 15 percent were children.

The report examined progress made and highlighted key challenges that the EU and its member states need to address as a priority.

It also highlighted links between human trafficking and other forms of crime and the exploitation of the most vulnerable in the context of the current migration crisis as well as an increased use of the internet and new technologies to recruit victims.

According to the report, EU member states need to fully and correctly implement the EU Anti-trafficking Directive to increase the number of investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators, establish appropriate mechanisms for the early identification and protection of victims and enhance measures to prevent the trafficking of human beings.

The EU Anti-trafficking coordinator, Myria Vassiliadou, said that the adoption of the EU Anti-trafficking Directive in 2011 created important momentum in raising awareness on the scale of the phenomenon in the EU and the need to address it with a wide range of tools, from criminal law to prevention measures.

"The trends and challenges identified in this report clearly show that it is now high time for member states to step-up efforts to effectively implement the directive and comply with its obligations," he said.

The Commission said it will continue working on a coordinated and consistent response to trafficking in human beings. By the end of 2016, the Commission will publish two reports on compliance and criminalization as well as a post-2016 strategy on trafficking in human beings.

The Commission noted that child protection along the migration route is a top priority and the Commission is also paying particular attention to unaccompanied minors in its reform of the common European asylum system.

The findings of the first report on progress in the fight against trafficking in human beings will feed into the development of a post-2016 strategy on trafficking in human beings to be published in 2016. Endit