On Tuesday September 27th, Victim Support Europe participated in the ‘Enhancing the anti-trafficking identification, prevention and support mechanisms’ conference. The event was the final conference of the project Activate – Enhancing the anti-trafficking identification, prevention and support mechanisms – led by the Greek NGO KMOP.
Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) is a serious crime and major violation of fundamental human rights and dignity. Despite recent improvements in combatting THB, there are still gaps and issues that need to be faced. In most European countries, the reception and identification systems, which function as entry points for Third-Country Nationals in Europe, lack gender-sensitive and human-centred approaches and services. Professionals working there rarely have proper training and they may be not able to detect the signs of trafficking and react properly to support the victims.
Activate is an AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) project that aims to contribute to the eradication of trafficking and support of Victims of Trafficking (VoT), by enhancing the prevention, identification and support mechanisms against trafficking in human beings, with a special focus on Victims of Trafficking for sexual exploitation, through the development of a holistic approach including the 4P’s stages (prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership).
The project aimed to achieve this through a variety of activities, such as for instance, capacity building of lawyers and professionals working in reception centres, strengthening of National Referral Mechanisms and awareness-raising campaigns. To read more about the project, please click here.
The conference took place in Brussels and provided a platform to discuss ideas to achieve better coordination and introduce best practices in identifying and supporting victims of trafficking. Different partners and stakeholders in the field disseminated available research data and projects, thereby contributing to strengthening national and transnational cooperation among policy makers and public authorities.
More information can be found on the conference website.
