EU states failing to protect trafficking victims

3.20.08pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 17th Nov 2005

Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP has taken EU states to task for failing to sign the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings. This would boost both victim protection and prosecutions.

She criticised the UK Europe Minister Douglas Alexander who, speaking for the EU Council Presidency during MEPs' question time in Strasbourg when Sarah raised the matter, said 'the Council is not in a position to give information on the state of individual Member States decision-making'. She said:

"The minister's refusal to answer was a sheer cop-out! The EU has passed legislation on the criminalisation of trafficking and on assistance to victims, and is developing an anti-trafficking action plan, so it is ludicrous to say there is no EU competence."

Sarah Ludford added:

"The real reason why 17 out of 25 EU states, including the UK, have not signed is that they dislike the way it stops them treating victims of trafficking as illegal immigrants subject to quick deportation."

"Not only is this inhumane, but police have told me and fellow MEPs that it frustrates prosecution as victims are unwilling to give evidence unless they are safe, and obviously unable to if they are chucked out of the country. So the guilty get away with rape and sex slavery time and again."

"There is currently just one safe house in the UK which provides assistance and shelter to trafficking victims. In Italy there are over 200."

"If the UK is genuinely concerned about trafficking and is keen to combat this problem, then as EU Presidency it should set an example by signing the Convention and encouraging all other EU states to follow suit."

Notes:

The Council of Europe Convention of May 2005 applies to all forms of trafficking: national or transnational, related or not to organized crime. It applies whoever the victim: women, men or children and whatever the form of exploitation: sexual exploitation, forced labour or services etc. It strikes a balance between human rights and prosecution of traffickers, and is the first agreement which specifically addresses the rights to protection of those who have been trafficked, stating that victims must be allowed thirty days in which to "recover and reflect" before any decision is taken on their eligibility to remain in the country. It also requires countries to take "such measures as may be necessary to assist victims in their physical, psychological and social recovery."

16 States have signed the convention so far, including 8 EU Member States: Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. (The minister in his speech said 5)

For the full transcript of the exchange please go to the "speeches" section of this website.