Trafficking in human beings

Expected Impact:

In the long-term, the funding is expected to:

• have increased operational capacity of law enforcement authorities to fight organised crime, including an improved capability to trace and untangle complex money laundering schemes.
• have improved cross-border cooperation and sharing of challenges and best practices in fighting against organised crime.
• have improved detection, identification and referral of victims of crime in the context of cross-border operational actions, as well as improved protection of victims in criminal proceedings, in cooperation with civil society organisations.

Expected Outcome:

Projects should aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• increase understanding of the nature and modus operandi of criminal networks and key actors and enablers.
• enhance coordination of law enforcement authorities in cross-border operations and support multi-stakeholders coordinated responses.
• increase involvement of civil society and other relevant (non-law enforcement) stakeholders in preventing and combating organised crime.
• increase the availability and use of technical tools for law enforcement.

Objective:

The overall objective of the action is to dismantle organised criminal networks engaged in trafficking in human beings (THB) in the EU, including poly criminal networks, by strengthening operational cooperation including with third countries, enhancing financial investigations, improving criminal justice effectiveness, and ensuring a robust victim-centred approach throughout the criminal justice chain

Scope:

• Exploring the links between trafficking in human beings and other forms of serious crime, including corruption and drug trafficking.
• Increasing the detection and early identification of victims of trafficking, including in the online environment and improve detection of trafficking for all forms of exploitation, in particular for sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, forced begging and forced criminality, trafficking for the purposes of organ removal and the trafficking and exploitation of children.
• Enhancing cooperation with online platforms, technology providers, financial service providers and other private actors through structured public-private partnerships;
• Intensifying cross-border cooperation between law enforcement authorities and judicial authorities by facilitate joint investigations, coordinated prosecutions, and the use of EU cooperation instruments and by strengthening information exchange and coordination in complex cross-border THB cases.
• Increasing the systematic use of parallel financial investigations in THB cases and by improving tracing, freezing, confiscation, and recovery of criminal assets;
• Improving overall prosecution and conviction outcomes by enhancing the specialised knowledge of prosecutors and judges regarding the specificities of THB, including evidentiary challenges, and the cross-border access to online evidence.
• Improving the referral of trafficking victims to support services, following operational anti-trafficking actions, including cooperation between law enforcement authorities and victims’ support services. Guarantee victim rights and victim protection throughout the criminal proceedings.
• Improving the protection of victims in criminal proceedings.
• Promoting awareness raising, including measures addressing the demand that fosters trafficking in human beings.