First European report on trafficking in human beings identified over 23.000 presumed victims over the 2008-2010 period
The first report on trafficking in human beings in Europe, published by the European Commission, shows that 23.632 people were identified or presumed victims of trafficking in the EU over the 2008-2010 period. The Commission stressed that in order to curb these trends, the ambitious legislation and measures to address trafficking in human beings have to be adequately transposed and implemented. To date, only 6 out of the 27 EU member states have fully transposed the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive into their national legislation.
The European Commission published a report that shows that the number of people being trafficked in and to the EU increased by 18% from 2008 to 2010, but less traffickers end up behind bars, since convictions decreased by 13% over the same period. The report also highlighted that to date, only 6 out of the 27 EU member states have fully transposed the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive into their national legislation and three countries have only reported partial transposition of the directive, with the deadline having expired on 6 April 2013. In June 2012, 40 European measures to fight against trafficking in human beings were also presented by the Commission.
The Commission also stressed that the new EU legislation covers actions in different areas such as criminal law provisions, prosecution of offenders, victims' support and victims' rights in criminal proceedings and prevention. It also foresees the establishment in each Member State of a national rapporteur or equivalent mechanism reporting on trends, gathering data and measure the impact of anti-trafficking activities.
In addition, the Commission also presented an overview of the rights of the victims of trafficking in human being to provide clear, user-friendly information on the labour, social, residence and compensation rights individuals are entitled to under EU law. It will contribute to the effective realisation of these rights by helping authorities in EU member states to deliver the assistance and protection that victims need and deserve.