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Over the past decade, the European Union has stepped
up its efforts to fight human trafficking strengthening its focus on prevention
and victim protection of victims. The adoption of the 2011 Directive on
preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims
(hereinafter the Directive), replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA,
is the most recent sign of the continued commitment of the European Union in this
field. The Directive represents a critical step in addressing human trafficking
comprehensively.
The six United Nations agencies responsible for this
report; the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the UN
Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), value the efforts
and the interest of the European Union and its Member States to end trafficking
in persons and the renewed emphasis on the protection of victims. We also
welcome the appointment of an Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, whose responsibilities
will be critical to the coordination and consolidation of the anti-trafficking
efforts of the European Union and its Member States.
Foreword
............................................................................................................................................8
Recommendations
..........................................................................................................................10
Introduction
......................................................................................................................................16
Part
I - Preamble ..............................................................................................................................18
Recital
1: Trafficking in persons as a gross violation of fundamental
rights ..........................18
Recital
3: Trafficking in persons as a gender-specific phenomenon
......................................20
Recital
33: Respect for fundamental rights ............................................................................21
State obligations under international human rights law
................................................21
The standard of “due diligence” ...................................................................................22
Recital
7: Adoption of an integrated, holistic and human rights approach
............................24
An integrated and holistic approach .............................................................................24
A human rights-based approach ..................................................................................26
A Gender-sensitive approach .......................................................................................29
A child rights approach .................................................................................................29
Part
II - Articles ................................................................................................................................30
Article
1: Subject matter - taking into account a gender perspective
....................................30
Article
2: Offences concerning trafficking in human beings ...................................................32
Trafficking in persons, forced labour and slavery .........................................................32
Article
8: Non-prosecution or non-application of penalties to the
victim ...............................35
Non-prosecution of trafficked persons .........................................................................35
Non-punishment & non-application of penalties to
trafficked persons ........................37
Non-detention of trafficked persons ..................................................................
Article 11: Assistance
and support for victims of trafficking in human beings ......................41
Article 11(1): Assistance
and support before, during and after the conclusion of criminal proceedings
......43
Reflection and recovery period .....................................................................................43
Assistance and support after the conclusion of
criminal proceedings .........................44
Article 11(2): No delay
in the provision of assistance ............................................................45
Article 11(3): Unconditional
access to protection and assistance .........................................46
Article 11(4): Mechanisms
for early identification, assistance and support ...........................47
Early identification .........................................................................................................48
Identification of children ................................................................................................48
National Referral Mechanisms (NRMs) .........................................................................49
NRMs - Cooperation between anti-trafficking, migration
and asylum authorities ........51
Article 11(5): Provision
of support services on a voluntary and consensual basis ...............54
Article 11(6): Provision
of information on the reflection period and the possibility of granting
international protection.......................................56
Human trafficking and international protection.............................................................56
The principle of non-refoulement
..................................................................................58
Provision of information on the right to asylum ............................................................59
Guarantees of non-repetition and the need for a
pre-return risk assessment ..............59
Durable solutions for victims of trafficking....................................................................62
Article 11(7): Victims
with special needs ................................................................................63
ArtIcle 12: Protection
of victims of trafficking in criminal investigations & proceedings-64
Article 12(1): Rights set in Council Framework
Decision on the standing of crime victims-64
Article 12(2): Access to free legal counselling and
representation ...............................66
Article 12(3): Protection on the basis of an
individual risk assessment ........................67
Article 12(4): Avoiding secondary victimization ............................................................67
Article 13: General
provisions on assistance, support and protection measures for child
victims ......69
Article 13(1): The principle of best interests of the
child ...............................................70
Article 13(2): Presumption of the person being a child
in case of uncertainty about age-72
Article 14: Assistance
and support to child victims ...............................................................73
Article 14 (1): Individual assessment of the needs of
the child .....................................75
Articles 14(2) & 16(3): Appointment of a guardian ........................................................76
Article 15: Protection
of child victims in criminal investigations and proceedings ................77
Participation in criminal proceeding and the best
interests of the child .......................79
Protection of child victims and witnesses before, during & after
criminal proceedings 79
Article 15(1): Appointment of a legal representative .....................................................80
Article 15(2): Access to free legal counselling & legal
representation ...........................80
Article 15(3): Interviews with the child...........................................................................80
Article 15(4) & (5): Closed hearing and the use of
video recording ...............................81
Article 16: Assistance,
support and protection for unaccompanied child victims of trafficking ......82
Coordination and cooperation ......................................................................................82
Article 16(1): Taking account of the
personal & specific circumstances of the child-82
Article 16(2): Durable solution .......................................................................................83
Family reunification .......................................................................................................83
Repatriation ...................................................................................................................84
Integration .....................................................................................................................84
Article 16(3) & (4): Appointment of a guardian and
legal representative .......................85
Article 17: Compensation
.......................................................................................................85
The right to an effective and appropriate remedy .........................................................88
Ancillary rights ...............................................................................................................89
The use of confiscated criminal assets for
compensation ...........................................89
Mechanisms for reparation ...........................................................................................90
Children .........................................................................................................................90
Article 18: Prevention
.............................................................................................................91
An obligation to prevent trafficking ...............................................................................91
Prevention of child trafficking .......................................................................................94
Article 18(1): Discouraging and reducing demand ........................................................95
A human rights-based approach to addressing demand .............................................95
Strategies to reduce demand .......................................................................................96
Article 18(2): Information, raising awareness,
research and education. .......................97
Article 18(3): Training .....................................................................................................98
Article 18(4): Criminalizing the use of services which
are the objects of trafficking - 99
Article 19: Establishment
of national rapporteurs or equivalent mechanisms .....................100
Annex I: Key definitions from relevant international
standards ................................................102
Annex II: List of boxes ...................................................................................................................106
Annex III: List of acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................108
Annex IV: Bibliography ..................................................................................................................110
Annex V: Directive 2011/36/EU of 5 April 2011 on
preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its
victims, combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, replacing
the Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA - 117