The XXIII. national session on the identification and referral of and assistance for third country national victims of human trafficking took place on 15 October in Budapest, at the Ministry of Interior.
The conference focused on the transnational identification and referral of and assistance for third country national victims of human trafficking. The date of the event was of great relevance as in 2007 the European Commission declared 18 October a European Day against Trafficking in Human Beings.
The four panels, organized around the aspects of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership (the 4Ps), were attended by Hungarian and foreign experts from civil and public sectors and international organizations.
As a result of the current asylum and migration processes within the EU, trafficking in human beings is taking on a whole new dimension and Member States are facing new challenges. The panelists agreed that migrants are a particularly vulnerable group in terms of trafficking. Perpetrators engages in recruitment activities, as migrants may find themselves in many situations where they are vulnerable to some form of exploitation.
There is a common understanding amongst the panelists of the event that, despite various EU directives and guidelines (such as EASO tools), there is no uniform procedure in the Member States regarding the status of and the available assistance for third-country national victims. Investigators participating in the „Prosecution” panel confirmed that the detection of trafficking cases is extremely challenging and requires complex international cooperation. Strong emphasis was put on cooperation with third countries; largely with the main source countries (China, Nigeria, Serbia, Ukraine, etc.). Speakers saw the emergence of social media as a new challenge in terms of both recruitment and the prosecution of perpetrators. It was concluded that in order to prevent and detect crime, cooperation with social media companies is essential. Awareness-raising campaigns, tailored to the target group and the type of exploitation concerned, could also be used as means of prevention, and besides reaching out out to (potential) victims, may even be able to address demand. Finally, on the topic of partnership, participants learned about the potential use of modern technology, such as satellite and drone technology, in the fight against human trafficking.
The EU anti-trafficking coordinator, Dr Myria Vassiliadou, sent a video message to the event. One of the most important elements of her speech was to point out that trafficking does not happen because people are vulnerable. It is not vulnerability such as sex, nationality, poverty or migration that makes people victims. The reason behind this phenomenon is that some exploits this vulnerability. In the process of exploitation (whatever its type), the recruiter, the perpetrator, and the user take part, who (knowingly or unknowingly) may be ourselves as well. Eradication of trafficking in human beings is therefore our shared responsibility.
