The fight against human trafficking

1. The fight against human trafficking Presentation by Janine Schütze

2. Contents • Definition ‚human trafficking‘ • Background • Statistics • International Law • EU Dimensions

3. Definition ‚human trafficking‘ Art. 3(a): ‘Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of Organs.’ Source: UN: Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations convention against transitional organized crime, 2000, S. 2.

4. Background • 12,3 million persons in form of forced labour or bondage • 360.000 people in industrialized countries • 100.000 victims of human trafficking in EU • Annual profits from human trafficking at least US-$ 32 billion • Fastest growing sector within organized crime • 80% of human trafficking into western Europe is about sexual exploitation of women/children • Other percentage: forced labours in domestic services, HORECA, textile and construction industry and agriculture sector

5. Statistics

6. Statistics Source: BBC:http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/63567000/gif/_63567144_human_traffiking_624.gif

7. International Law • UN: Palermo Protocol (2000) • first definition of ‚human trafficking‘ • Purpose: Art. 2(a): ‚To prevent and combat trafficking in persons, paying particular attention to women and children‘ • Preventing trafficking in persons • Protecting victims • Cooperation

8. International Law • OSCE: Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings (2003) • framework for the anti-trafficking efforts of the entire organization • Established Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings

9. International Law • Council of Europe: Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (2005) • focussing mainly on the protection of victims of trafficking and the safeguard of their rights

10. EU Dimensions • Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings (Directive 2011/36/EU) • Max. penalty 5 or 10 years • Art. 8: Non-prosecution or non-application of penalties to the victim • Member States shall, in accordance with the basic principles of their legal systems, take the necessary measures to ensure that competent national authorities are entitled not to prosecute or impose penalties on victims of trafficking in human beings for their involvement in criminal activities which they have been compelled to commit as a direct consequence of being subjected to any of the acts referred to in Article 2.

11. EU Dimensions • Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings (Decision 2011/502/EU) • Maintasks: - written contributions - assess the evolution of policy - forum for discussion EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator

12. Thank you for your attention