Challenges in the Fight against Human Trafficking in Europe: Enhancing the Resilience of State Policy and Practice

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

It has been estimated that number of trafficking victims in or within Europe amounts to several hundred thousand per year and that it is one of the most profitable criminal activities worldwide. According to UNICEF, the global market in human/child trafficking is over $12 billion with over 1.2 child victims. Described as a ‘modern day form of slavery’, human trafficking constitutes a severe violation of human rights and an offence against the dignity of the human being. Since the adoption of the 2003 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, the fight against human trafficking, has become a priority for the international community. Several anti-trafficking instruments have been adopted in Europe, notably by the Council of Europe and European Union, with the aim of addressing this crime, enhancing inter-state cooperation and protecting trafficked persons. For instance, in 2011 the European Commission adopted a Directive in Trafficking in Human Beings and in 2012 a Strategy toward the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings. However, European States have been experiencing considerable difficulties in achieving these objectives. The overemphasis on law enforcement and criminal justice responses has limited the identification of internationally trafficked persons in several countries. The rate of prosecution and conviction of traffickers remains alarmingly low despite the ever increasing number of trafficked persons. Drawing on the experiences of selected European Union States, such as France and the United Kingdom, this presentation critically assesses the challenges confronting state authorities in effectively addressing human trafficking. It also highlights the difficulties faced by trafficking victims who are seeking international protection or other forms of protection. It is argued that these challenges and shortcomings underscore the necessity for States to adopt a gender and human rights-centered framework, as espoused by the EU, which would serve as a strategy for combatting effectively human trafficking: it would encourage trafficked persons to come forward, testify against traffickers, enhance victims’ identification and increase prosecution and conviction rates. It is further held that a gender and human rights-centered approach will enhance the resilience of States’ policies and practices in dealing with the crime of human trafficking while protecting the rights of trafficked persons.

Author

• Jona Zyfi, University of Toronto