The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) of the Council of Europe is currently reviewing Germany's implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
For the evaluation of the implementation, a questionnaire was sent by GRETA to the federal government on the basis of which a report will be written. KOK prepared and submitted its own report to GRETA based on the questionnaire.
In order to answer the questions, KOK member organisations were consulted and their expertise sought. ECPAT Germany and the International Social Service ISD also contributed to the preparation of the report, especially in answering the questions relating to child trafficking. In this report we answer selected questions that are of particular importance to KOK and its members on the ground.
Significant deficiencies remain in key areas that GRETA identified as requiring urgent improvement in the last round of evaluations (2018).
These areas include:
- Development and adoption of a national anti-trafficking action plan (this has not yet been done)
- Ensuring that all those potentially affected by trafficking in human beings benefit from the reflection period and have access to support services during this period regardless of whether or not they are willing to cooperate and before they give a statement to the law enforcement authorities
- Expanding the competences and resources of organisations such as NGOs in order to achieve better identification of potential trafficked persons, including through the use of uniform indicators and guidelines and by giving them a formal role in the identification process
- Ensuring that all trafficked persons are able to exercise their right to compensation and that they receive information about their rights
- Providing support services for individuals affected by all forms of trafficking in human
beings, including safe accommodation facilities, including for male trafficked persons and unaccompanied minors who have been separated from their parents - Training and up-skilling, in particular for law enforcement authorities, the judiciary, public prosecutor's offices and courts
In the previous evaluation rounds in 2014 and 2018, KOK submitted NGO reports to GRETA and organised NGO round tables for exchange with GRETA representatives and NGO representatives.
