The EU policy against trafficking in human beings within its borders

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reflect on a phenomenon that is present in society and the economy and is constantly increasing: trafficking in human beings. It is a flagrant violation of human rights, a crime with no borders and a lucrative business fueled by demand. This issue is viewed from a European perspective, as the paper examines the action taken by European stakeholders to address this problem, particularly in the aftermath of the introduction of Directive 2011/36/EU, known as the Anti-trafficking Directive. It will start with the most critical pieces of legislation adopted from the Member States and the figures that describe the scope of the matter. Then the specific forms of trafficking in persons will be discussed and a picture of the situation in European countries and the measures taken will be conveyed. It will, furthermore, explain the differences between smuggling and human trafficking. Of course, reference is made to specific measures to combat this phenomenon, such as criminalizing the use of services of trafficked persons or assigning liability to companies. It also gives a picture of the actions taken to uncover this crime, such as financial investigation, cross-border cooperation, the use of databases and the training of officers. The paper, of course, describes the impact of the current pandemic on the trafficking phenomenon. Moreover, it enumerates the rights of the victims. In the end, there is s critical overview of the challenges in implementing the EU strategy. Overall, this paper endeavours to highlight the positive developments in this matter, but also to analyse the obstacles that the EU must overcome in order to truly ensure the protection of the exploited victims, the prosecution of the perpetrators who commit this heinous crime and, ultimately, the respect for fundamental human rights.