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Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
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Newsletter January - April 2023
GRETA holds its 47th plenary meeting and elects its Bureau
GRETA holds its 47th plenary meeting and elects its Bureau
STRASBOURG, 27 - 31 March 2023

The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) held its 47th plenary meeting from 27 to 31 March 2023, in Strasbourg, France.

GRETA elected its new Bureau for the next two-year period. Helga Gayer, who is Head of the Department for trafficking in human beings, violent crime and missing persons of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, was re-elected as GRETA’s President. Antoaneta Vassileva, senior expert in Animus Association/La Strada Bulgaria and co-ordinator of the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre, was re-elected as GRETA’s First Vice-President. Sergey Ghazinyan, lecturer at Yerevan State University and the American University of Armenia, was elected as GRETA’s Second Vice-President.
During the meeting, GRETA adopted the final report on Estonia, under the second round of evaluation, and reports on Azerbaijan, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain as part of the third evaluation round.
GRETA also approved the draft third round reports on Iceland, the Netherlands and Sweden and transmitted the to the national authorities concerned for comments.

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“UK’s Illegal Migration Bill should be reviewed to ensure it complies with the anti-trafficking convention”, says Council of Europe Expert Group on Trafficking
“UK’s Illegal Migration Bill should be reviewed to ensure it complies with the anti-trafficking convention”, says Council of Europe Expert Group on Trafficking
STRASBOURG, 29 MARS 2023

Meeting in Strasbourg in March, the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) expressed deep concern over the United Kingdom’s Illegal Migration Bill and its lack of compliance with core elements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

GRETA stressed that the new legislation would constitute a significant step backwards in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery in the United Kingdom, and risk undoing many of the country’s significant achievements in this area, by making it harder to identify victims, prosecute traffickers and combat human trafficking.

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NEW REPORTS AVAILABLE
GRETA publishes its third report on North Macedonia
GRETA publishes its third report on North Macedonia
24 MARCH 2023

In its latest third-round evaluation report, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) welcomes North Macedonia’s progress in developing the legislative anti-human trafficking framework, but calls for its better implementation in terms of victims’ access to justice and effective remedies.

Based on a GRETA visit to the country in March last year and information provided by the authorities and civil society, the report notes that the number of formally identified victims has been low (between two and nine per year, except for 2021 when 39 victims from Taiwan were identified), with a shift to labour exploitation as the predominant form of exploitation.

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GRETA publishes its third report on North Macedonia
GRETA publishes its second report on Greece
23 MARCH 2023

In its second report on Greece, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) acknowledges positive steps taken by the Greek authorities to combat human trafficking, but also highlights a number of shortcomings. The report examines progress made by Greece in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the publication of GRETA’s first report in October 2017.
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GRETA EVALUATION VISITS
GRETA carries out a visit to Italy as part of the third evaluation round
GRETA carries out a visit to Italy as part of the third evaluation round
13-17 FEBRUARY 2023

A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Italy on 13-17 February 2023 as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
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GRETA carries out a visit to Italy as part of the third evaluation round
GRETA carries out a visit to Hungary as part of the third evaluation round
27 FEBRUARY - 3 MARCH 2023

A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Hungary on 27 February - 3 March 2023, as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF GRETA'S RECOMMENDATIONS
Round-table on Bulgaria's progress in the fight against human trafficking
Round-table on Bulgaria's progress in the fight against human trafficking
SOFIA, 30 JANUARY 2023

More than 60 representatives of Bulgarian government agencies, public bodies and civil society met in Sofia on 30 January 2023 to discuss Bulgaria's progress in combating trafficking in human beings.

Organised by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Bulgarian National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (NCCTHB), the round-table was opened by Ms Maria Pavlova, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Chairperson of the Commission.

The Council of Europe was represented by Mr Kevin Hyland, former member of the Council of Europe Group on Action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA) and rapporteur for the third evaluation of Bulgaria by GRETA, Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, and Yuriy Paltsev, lawyer in the Secretariat of the Convention.

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Round-table on Bulgaria's progress in the fight against human trafficking
Round-table meeting on Denmark's progress in the fight against human trafficking
COPENHAGEN, 9 MARCH 2023

Some 35 representatives of Danish government agencies, public bodies and civil society met in Copenhagen on 9 March 2023 to discuss progress made by Denmark in the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention, on the basis of the third evaluation report of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).

The round-table was organised by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Danish Ministry of Justice. It was opened by Mr Niklas V. Johansen, Head of the Organised Crime Division of the Ministry of Justice, and Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

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Round-table meeting on the follow-up to GRETA’s third evaluation report on Montenegro
Round-table meeting on the follow-up to GRETA’s third evaluation report on Montenegro
PODGORICA, 4 AVRIL 2023

Some 30 representatives of Montenegrin government agencies, public bodies and civil society met in Podgorica on 4 April 2023 to discuss the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention, on the basis of the third evaluation report of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).

The meeting was organised by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Department for Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings in the Ministry of the Interior of Montenegro. Participants focused on access to justice and effective remedies for victims of human trafficking, the criminal justice response to human trafficking, improving assistance to victims and strengthening efforts in combating human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.

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Round-table meeting on the follow-up to GRETA’s third evaluation report on Montenegro
Round-table on Romania's progress in the fight against human trafficking
BUCHAREST, 3 MARCH 2023

Some 30 representatives of Romanian government agencies, public bodies and civil society met in Bucharest on 3 March 2023 to discuss Romania's progress in combating trafficking in human beings.

The round-table was organised by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Romanian National Agency against Trafficking in Person (ANTIP).

The Council of Europe was represented by Ms Ia Dadunashvili, member of the Council of Europe Group on Action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA) and rapporteur for the third evaluation of Romania by GRETA, Mr Kevin Hyland, consultant for the Council of Europe, and Yuriy Paltsev, lawyer in the Secretariat of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

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Round-table meeting on Georgia's progress in combating human trafficking
Round-table meeting on Georgia's progress in combating human trafficking
TBILISI, 25 APRIL 2023

Around 30 representatives of Georgian government agencies, public bodies and civil society met in Tbilisi on 25 April 2023 to discuss the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention, on the basis of the third evaluation report issued by the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).

The meeting, organised jointly by the Anti-Trafficking Division of the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, was opened by Ms Ketevan Sarajishvili, Head of International Relations and Legal Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Justice. 

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CO-OPERATION PROJECTS
Supporting countries in the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention
Supporting countries in the implementation of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention
Cooperation projects on “Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings” are currently being initiated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia, in addition to the projects in Kosovo* and the projects in the framework of the South programme. These projects are based on the country-specific recommendations of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and aimed at supporting the countries in the implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by strengthening national capacities. In addition, a project on supporting Malta in the design and implementation of a new anti-trafficking strategy (2022-2024) is being implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the European Commission.
Webinar: Building a common understanding of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation in Malta
Webinar: Building a common understanding of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation in Malta
ONLINE, 20 MARCH 2023

How to prevent and combat human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation in Malta? This question was addressed during a webinar, organised on 20 March 2023, to present the Recommendation adopted in 2022 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation. The event brought together nearly 60 representatives of government departments, law enforcement officers, health-care professionals, social workers, prosecutors, judges, labour inspectors, civil society organisations, trade unions, and the private sector.
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Webinar: Building a common understanding of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation in Malta
Council of Europe training in Malta on investigating and prosecuting cases of trafficking in human beings
SIGGIEWI, 1 MARCH 2023

International experts of the Council of Europe from the Counter Trafficking Network shared their experience of investigating and prosecuting cases of trafficking in human beings - including with the use of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) - during a training organised in Siġġiewi, Malta, on 1 March 2023, in cooperation with the Directorate of Human Rights of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, of Security, Reforms and Equality (MHSR).

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Upcoming
  • GRETA's 48th meeting (26-30 June 2023)
  • Third round evaluation visit to Germany (8-12 May2023)
  • Third round evaluation visit to Finland (22-26May 2023)
  • Meeting of National Anti-Trafficking Coordinators and Rapporteurs, co-organised by the Council of Europe and OSCE (6-7 June 2023)
  • Committee of the Parties' 32 meeting (16 June 2023)
  • Third round evaluation visit to Monaco (5-7 July  2023)
  • Third round evaluation visit to Switzerland (28 August – 1 September 2023)
 
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