Month: July 2024

World Day Against Trafficking In Persons 2024

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Yesterday, 30th July 2024 marks the 10th year of World Day Against Trafficking In Persons. We have seen progress and development in national modern slavery legislation around the world, yet there are still many issues regarding effective implementation, and international legal cooperation.  

According to the ILO, there are 49.6 million people in modern slavery globally, including 12 million children. Traffickers target vulnerable individuals or groups that may be faced with  psychological or emotional vulnerability, economic hardship or be forced to migrate due to political instability or natural disasters. 

In 2024, the rise in digital technology is providing complexities in the response to human trafficking and modern slavery. Traffickers recruit individuals online by deceiving, grooming or controlling victims, leading to their exploitation either within one country or across national borders. A major challenge for experts and policy makers to combat human trafficking, is to refine and advance their use of digital technology. 

HTMSE is a directory that links victims to professional support, and professionals to other professionals working in the modern slavery and human trafficking sector globally. It is a platform for stakeholders including researchers and academics, country and trafficking experts, specialist organisations, legal and medical experts to list their professional profiles and expertise in the sector. HTMSE reports on current news, as well as relevant resources and material on our eLearning platform. An expert witness training and service for expert reports and medicolegal reports is currently in development.

EU Parliament Expands Actions to Protect Human Trafficking Victims

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The European Parliament will revise its rules to expand actions to prevent victims of human trafficking. This vote by the MEPS from April 2024 was an overwhelming majority with 563 voting in favour of the amendment and 17 abstaining, which will update the directive from 2011, which regards the prevention of trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims of sex trafficking and forced labour. Under the new amendment the EU’s actions will broaden to include the criminalisation of forced marriage, illegal adoption, and the exploitation of surrogacy. Furthermore, amendments outline: 

  • Increased coordination between anti-trafficking and asylum authorities
  • Criminalisation of services of trafficked victim, where the user is aware of the exploitation
  • Penalties for companies convicted of trafficking
  • Increased support to victims
  • Protecting victims of trafficking who have been forced into criminality. The amendment ensures that prosecutors are able to choose not to prosecute victims for criminal acts they were coerced into committing. 

For more information on this amendment, see the Amending Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.