In a statement on the occasion of the European Day against Trafficking in Human Beings on 18 October 2022, the NGO platform La Strada International (LSI) called on EU Member States to ensure adequate protection for trafficked persons and to enable them to assert their rights..
EU Member States have a responsibility to provide effective protection to trafficked persons under international human rights obligations and EU law, including the 2011 EU Anti-Trafficking Directive. However, research and reports by the European Commission and the EU Parliament found that the Directive is not yet fully implemented, which is why a revision of the Directive is likely to be proposed.
LSI calls on the EU Commission, Parliament and EU Member States to use this review to remove all existing legal and practical obstacles that currently prevent the adequate identification, protection and assistance of trafficked persons in Europe.
The NGO Platform against Trafficking in Human Beings criticises, among other things, that access to support for trafficked persons is still dependent on cooperation in investigations and criminal proceedings and that there are gaps in the provision of adequate support in the areas of safe accommodation, medical treatment including psychological care, counselling and information.
