Brussels unveils new measures to crack down on human trafficking in EU

The vast majority of human trafficking victims within the European Union are EU residents, Brussels claimed on Monday because it unveiled plans to toughen its present measures to fight such offences.

The proposed amendments to the Anti-Trafficking Directive embody including compelled marriage and unlawful adoption as types of exploitation that needs to be criminalised. Brussels additionally needs to make it unlawful to knowingly use a service — similar to prostitution or development work — supplied by a sufferer of trafficking.

To reply to an growing shift on-line, the European Fee additionally needs more durable sanctions towards firms liable for trafficking offences. 

These measures are presently voluntary for EU international locations. However Dwelling Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson advised reporters that “only a few member states, if any, have accomplished so”. 

“Now we have seen that the numbers of suspected criminals have gone up (throughout) the final years, however the numbers of convicted individuals are usually not going up very a lot. So nonetheless, there’s a large downside with impunity,” Johansson added.

Including these amendments to present laws would make them obligatory for all 27 EU international locations. 

Greater than 7,000 victims of trafficking are registered within the EU yearly though that is “solely the tip of the iceberg”, Johansson mentioned.

Girls and ladies account for 63% of the victims and just below 1 / 4 are kids. The bulk — 53% — are EU residents. 

Greater than a 3rd of kid victims are trafficked in their very own nation, Johansson mentioned. “So it isn’t essential to additionally go throughout the border to be a sufferer of trafficking.”

Most victims — 51% — are trafficked for sexual exploitation and 28%, primarily males, are victims of labour exploitation with agriculture, development, forestry, meals processing, cleansing companies, housekeeping, and home help listed as high-risk sectors. 

The European Fee’s proposals now must be formally endorsed by each the European Parliament and the European Council to be transposed into nationwide legislation.