REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Third report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings (2020) as required under Article 20 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims
Date: 2020-10-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, data collection, data transmission, fight against crime, help for victims, human rights, organised crime, prostitution, slavery, trafficking in human beings

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.10.2020  COM(2020) 661 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Third report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings    (2020) as required under Article 20 of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and   combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims {SWD(2020) 226 final}  
 
 
I. 

 Introduction 

Protecting society from organised crime, and in particular tackling trafficking in human 
beings, is  a priority under the new EU  security union  strategy1. Article 20 of  Directive 
2011/36/EU2  (‘Anti-trafficking  Directive’)  foresees  a  two-yearly  report  on  the  progress 
made in the fight against trafficking in human beings.  

Trafficking in human beings is a highly profitable crime that  brings enormous profit to 
criminals  while  incurring  a  tremendous  cost  to  society.  The  estimated  global  annual 
profit  from  trafficking  in  human  beings  amounts  to  EUR  29.4  billion3  (conservative 
estimate). The total cost of trafficking in the EU in a single year is estimated at EUR 2.7 
billion. This is due to additional services in the area of law enforcement, health and social 
protection,  lost  economic  output,  lost  quality  of  life  and  the  co-ordination  of  anti-
trafficking  activities4.  Such  costs  are  triggered  by  the  serious  violation  of  fundamental 
rights  of  women,  men,  girls  and  boys  by  traffickers  and  continue  to  be  borne  by  our 
societies as human trafficking persists.   

Criminals  have  seized  the  opportunities  during  the  Covid-19  pandemic  to  generate 
significant  profits  and  intensify  criminal  activities.  They  have  changed  their  operating 
methods  and  are  increasingly  advertising  victims  on  the  internet  or  exploiting  them  in 
private facilities. While the full impact of the pandemic is not yet measureable, it is clear 
that the crisis has given rise to extraordinary challenges, disproportionately affecting the 
most  vulnerable,  exacerbating  people’s  vulnerability  to  trafficking  in  human  beings, 
including  those  of  women  and  children.  Civil  society  organisations,  international 
organisations and EU agencies have voiced concerns about delays in identifying victims, 
which hinders their access to justice, assistance and support5.  

The  European  Union  Agency  for  Law  Enforcement  Cooperation  (Europol)  warns  that 
trafficking in human beings is likely to increase in the wake of the economic downturn as 
unemployment  has  been  triggered  in  its  aftermath,  and  an  increase  in  the  demand  for 

1  COM(2020)  605 
strategy.pdf  

2   OJ 101, 15.04.2011, p. 1. 
3   Europol (2015) The THB financial business model, The Hague.  

final,  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-eu-security-union-

https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/trafficking-in-human-beings-financial-
business-model 

4    European Commission, Study on the economic, social and human costs of trafficking in human beings 

within the EU (2020) 

5   How Covid-19 restrictions and the economic consequences are likely to impact migrant smuggling and 
cross-border trafficking in persons to Europe and North America, Research brief, United Nations Office 
on  Drugs  and  Crime  (UNODC),  https://www.unodc.org/islamicrepublicofiran/en/how-covid-19-
restrictions-and-the-economic-consequences-are-likely-to-impact-migrant-smuggling-and-cross-border-
trafficking-in-persons-to-europe-and-north-america.html;  Statement  by  OSCE  Special  Representative 
for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings on need to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts in a time of 
crisis; COVID-19 pandemic and its impact for victims and survivors of trafficking in persons, UNODC, 
https://icat.network/sites/default/files/28%20April_COVID%20ICAT%20webstory%20and%20list%20
of%20resources%20%283%29.pdf;  Civil  Society  Organisations  have  voiced  concerns  in  their 
contributions to the Third progress report. 

1 

 
 
 
                                                 
trafficking  for  labour  and  sexual  exploitation  can  be  expected.  Besides  the  traditional 
fields  of  exploitation  (prostitution,  begging  and  theft,  textile  and  agricultural  sectors), 
sectors  such  as  construction,  tourism,  catering,  nursing  and  domestic  services  are 
increasingly affected by human trafficking. In addition to the prolonged harm suffered by 
victims  of  trafficking,  the  closure  of  businesses  with  lower  profit  margins  due  to  an 
economic crisis will leave the market open to those with illegal or cheap labour at their 
disposal 6. 

Trafficking in human beings is a particularly serious crime, prohibited by the EU Charter 
of  Fundamental  Rights  as  a  grave  violation  of  fundamental  rights7.  Organised  crime 
groups are involved  in  trafficking  for sexual  or for labour  exploitation, exploitation for 
the use of begging and exploitation for criminal purposes. Trafficking networks are often 
involved in (or linked to)  other forms of criminality, such as  migrant smuggling, drugs 
trafficking, smuggling of goods, extortion, money laundering, document fraud, payment 
card fraud and property crimes (e.g. theft). 

This report: i) identifies key patterns and challenges in addressing trafficking in human 
beings, ii) provides an analysis of statistics and iii) outlines the results of anti-trafficking 
actions.  It  is  complemented  by  a  staff  working  document  providing  detailed, 
comprehensive  and  substantiated  information.  Both  the  report  and  the  staff  working 
document are based on: 

 

information  provided  by  the  national  rapporteurs  or  equivalent  mechanisms 
provided for under Articles 19 and 20 of the Anti-trafficking Directive; 

  contributions  submitted  by  civil  society  organisations  participating  in  the  EU 
Civil  Society  Platform  against  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  the  EU  Civil 
Society e-Platform; and 

  contributions from relevant EU agencies8.  

This  report  has  also  taken  into  account  information  from  the  European  Parliament  and 
Council  as  well  as  from  international  and  regional  organisations.  Stakeholders reported 
on the results of anti-trafficking actions and on the impact of these actions in more detail 
compared to the previous reporting exercise9.  

6   Europol, Beyond the pandemic – How Covid-19 will shape the serious and organized crime landscape 

in the EU, 30 April 2020. 

7   See Article 83(2) of TFEU and Article 5(3) Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. 
8   The  ten  EU  agencies  that  signed  the  2018  Joint  Statement  of  Commitment  to  working  together  to 
address  trafficking  in  human  beings:  European  Asylum  Support  Office  (EASO),  European  Union 
Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), EU 
Agency  for  Criminal  Justice  Cooperation  (Eurojust),  European  Foundation  for  the  Improvement  of 
Living  and  Working  Conditions  (Eurofound),  EU  Agency  for  Law  Enforcement  Training  (CEPOL), 
European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs  and  Drug  Addiction  (EMCDDA),  European  Agency  for  the 
operational  management  of  large-scale  IT  systems  in  the  area  of  freedom,  security  and  justice  (eu-
LISA),  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard  Agency  (Frontex)  and  the  European  Institute  for  Gender 
Equality (EIGE). 

9   This report includes statistics for 2 years: 2017-2018 for the EU-27. All statistics reported by the EU-28 
are included in the staff working document and “Data collection on trafficking in human beings in the 
EU” (2020). 

2 

 
 
                                                 
II. 

 PATTERNS  OF  TRAFFICKING  IN  HUMAN  BEINGS  IN  THE  EU  AND 

IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES 

The trafficking phenomenon is characterised by certain recurrent patterns, new concerns 
and emerging trends. The total number of 14 145 registered victims10 reported by the EU 
Member States for 2 years (2017 and 2018) is higher compared to the previous reporting 
period.11  It  is  likely  that  the  actual  number  of  victims  is  significantly  higher  than 
reported  data  as  many  victims  remain  undetected.  In  relation  to  the  high  number  of 
victims,  the  number  of  prosecutions  and  convictions  of  perpetrators  continue  to  remain 
low. Nearly half of all victims of trafficking in the EU are EU citizens.  Trafficking of 
victims  internally  within  their  own  Member  States  continues  to  be  significant, 
accounting for more than one third of all EU victims.  

The  top  five  EU  countries  as  regards  citizenship  of  trafficking  victims  by  absolute 
numbers  were  Romania,  Hungary,  France,  the  Netherlands  and  Bulgaria.  The  top  five 
non-EU  countries  as  regards  citizenship  of  trafficking  victims  in  the  EU  were 
Nigeria, China, Ukraine, Morocco and India.   

Sexual exploitation continues to be the most prevalent purpose behind trafficking in the 
EU.  An  increase  in  trafficking  for  labour  exploitation  has  been  reported  in  several 
Member  States.  Nearly three  quarters  of  all  victims  in  the  EU  were  female  (women 
and  girls),  predominantly  trafficked  for  sexual  exploitation.  Women  and  girls  have 
consistently formed the majority of trafficking victims since 2008, when the EU started 
collecting  data  on  trafficking  in  human  beings.  Children  continue  to  account  for  a 
considerable  number  of  victims  in  the  EU.  The  majority  of  child  victims  were  girls 
trafficked for sexual exploitation and were EU citizens.  

Trafficking networks are increasingly showing higher levels of professionalism and 
expertise.  Organised  crime  groups  involved  in  trafficking  in  human  beings  have 
well-structured criminal networks, are operating internationally, in some cases with 
a  pool  of  trans-border  facilitators  and  specialised  groups.  The  increased  misuse  of 
information technology by criminals presents a concern and a challenge to authorities 
tackling trafficking in human beings.  

2.1. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation  

Trafficking  in  human  beings  for  sexual  exploitation  is  a  form  of  violence  against 
women12  and  is  rooted  in  gender  inequalities.  Sexual  exploitation  remains  the  most 

10   ‘Victims’ referred to in this report means ‘registered’ victims and as such concern formally identified 

and/ or presumed victims in the national context. 

11   13461 in 2015 and 2016 in EU-27 
12   Combatting violence against women and supporting victims is a key priority to the Commission. The 
EU  Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-2025  presents  policy  objectives  and  actions  on  ending  violence 
against women. The EU’s accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating 
violence against women and domestic violence remains a key priority for the Commission. Should the 
EU’s accession remain blocked, the Commission will propose measures to obtain the same objectives 
as  the  Istanbul  Convention.  On  16  September  2020,  President  von  der  Leyen  announced  that  the 
Commission  intends  to  issue  a  legislative  proposal  to  prevent  and  combat  specific  forms  of  gender-

3 

 
 
                                                 
 
prevalent  form  of  trafficking  in  the  EU  since  2008.  60%  of  victims  are  trafficked  for 
sexual  exploitation,  over  half  of  them  being  EU  citizens.  More  than  90%  of  victims  of 
trafficking for sexual exploitation are female, which highlights the gender aspect of the 
crime.  Women  and  girls  still  account  for  the  majority  of  victims  of  trafficking  for  all 
forms of exploitation. These patterns are consistently underlined by Member States, civil 
society  organisations  and  EU  agencies.  High-risk  environments  include  prostitution, 
escort  agencies  and  services,  massage  services,  bars  and  nightclubs.  Civil  society 
organisations report a rise in trafficking for sexual exploitation through the internet and 
new technological means, which are used to recruit and sell the victims, mainly women 
and girls, as well as to groom children. 

Most  Member  States  report  on  specific  measures  taken  to  address  key  patterns  and 
emerging  trends  in  relation  to  trafficking  for  sexual  exploitation.  These  include 
identifying  and  supporting  victims  by  providing  social  support  such  as  exit 
programmes13, social and professional reintegration14 or sexual health services to victims 
of trafficking exploited in prostitution. Other measures target high-risk sectors and high-
risk groups (vulnerable children, people from marginalised Roma communities, migrants 
and  refugees)  and  provide  for  operational  activities,  such  as  criminal  investigations, 
covert  surveillance,  internet  surveillance,  awareness-raising  campaigns,  education  and 
training,  and  institutional  and  policy  developments.  Some  Member  States  adopted 
legislation  criminalising  the  use  of  services  of  victims  of  trafficking  for  sexual 
exploitation;  carried  out  prevention  measures  focusing  on  demand  reduction15,  and 
the  framework  of  gender-based  violence16.  EU-level  cross-border 
measures 
cooperation is also reported, especially with the support of European Union Agency for 
Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the European Union Agency for Criminal 
Justice  Cooperation  (Eurojust).  EU  agencies  continue  to  assist  Member  States  in  their 
efforts, including by means of publishing guidance17 or with training.  

in 

Despite  these  concrete  efforts,  civil  society  organisations  continue  to  highlight 
insufficient focus on trafficking for sexual exploitation in the EU, including when it 
comes to investigations and taking into account the gender aspect of the crime.  

2.2. Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation  

based violence. The legislative initiative will have the same objective as the Convention: ensuring that 
EU  Member  States  have  effective  measures  in  place  (in  areas  of  EU  competence)  to  prevent  and 
combat violence against women. 
13   For example, in France, Ireland, Malta. 
14   For example, in Spain and France. 
15   For  example,  the  Irish  Garda  National  Protective  Service  Bureau  undertakes  training  and  awareness- 
raising  measures  in  cooperation  with  NGOs,  to  identify  victims  of  trafficking  for  sexual  exploitation 
and refer them to appropriate services. 

16   Such as training and awareness-raising measures for professionals in law enforcement or education on 
different forms of gender-based violence, as well as political and legislative developments relating to 
gender-based violence.  

17   See Fundamental Rights Agency and European Commission (2019), Children deprived of parental care 
found in an EU Member State other than their own – A guide to enhance child protection focusing on 
victims of trafficking; European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) (2018), Gender-specific measures 
in anti-trafficking actions: report. 

4 

 
                                                                                                                                                 
Several  Member  States  and  civil  society  organisations  report  an  increase  in  trafficking 
for labour exploitation. 15% of all victims were trafficked for this form of exploitation. 
Reports  show  that  victims  have  been  exploited  in  the  agricultural  sector  (including 
seasonal work), private employment agencies, the construction industry, hospitality, the 
cleaning  sector,  domestic  work,  care  services,  nursing  homes,  night  shops,  pubs,  car 
washes,  waste  collecting  and  recycling  businesses,  forestry,  textile  and  garments,  food 
manufacturing, and  processing and packaging. 

Labour exploitation predominantly affects men (68%), although in certain sectors, it 
affects  predominantly  women,  notably  in  domestic  work,  care  activities  or  cleaning 
services.  Member  States  also  reported  that  increasingly  children  have  been  falling 
victim to trafficking for labour exploitation. 

Dedicated  actions  to  address  trafficking  for  labour  exploitation  and  improve  the 
identification  of  victims  enabled  labour  authorities  to  carry  out  more  intensified 
inspections, which involved stronger cooperation with law enforcement. Member States 
report that they are providing targeted training courses for labour and social inspectors,  
professionals  in  law  enforcement,  the  judiciary,  the  legal  profession,  social  workers, 
customs authorities, diplomatic and consular officers, immigration authorities, those who 
work in the education sector, employment agencies, and shelters. Furthermore, Member 
States  carried  out  inspections  as  part  of  the  Joint  Action  Days  on  labour  exploitation, 
joint  investigations,  and  actions  in  the  framework  of  the  European  Multidisciplinary 
Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT-THB18), focusing specifically on high-risk 
sectors19.  Measures  targeted  information  to  people  at  risk  of  trafficking  for  labour 
exploitation  (especially  job  seekers),  people  in  migration  (for  example,  along  migrants 
smugglers’  routes  and  at  risk  due  to  criminal  networks  in  the  Mediterranean)  and  in 
asylum procedures, and to Roma communities and people going abroad for work.  

The recently established European Labour Authority20 will cooperate with EU agencies 
working  in  the  area  of  employment  and  social  policy  as  well  as  with  those  fighting 
against organised crime and trafficking in human beings, including Europol and Eurojust. 

Despite  progress  made  in  identifying  cases  of  trafficking  for  labour  exploitation, 
civil  society  organisations  indicate  that  labour  inspections  and  the  monitoring  of 
employment  standards  still  need  to  be  improved,  especially  in  sectors  such  as 

18   The  ‘fight  against  the  trafficking  in  human  beings  in  the  EU  for  all  forms  of  exploitation,  including 
sexual  and  labour  exploitation  as  well  as  all  forms  of  child  trafficking’  is  one  of  the  EU’s  priorities 
when  dealing  with  crime,  helping  the  EU  Policy  Cycle/EMPACT  to  tackle  organised  and  serious 
international crime in 2018–2021. See Council conclusions on setting the EU’s priorities for the fight 
against organised and serious international crime between 2018 and 2021, ST 9450/17. 

19   For  instance,  as  part  of  a  joint  investigative  operation,  Bulgarian  and  French  law  enforcement 
authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust dismantled an organised crime group, which trafficked 
Bulgarian citizens for labour exploitation in the agricultural sector in France. About 167 people hired 
seasonally 
victims; 
https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/bad-harvest-for-bulgarian-french-network-exploiting-
vineyard-workers. 

identified 

harvest 

grapes 

Lyon 

were 

near 

as 

to 

20   Regulation (EU) 2019/1149 of the European Parliament and the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a 
European  Labour  Authority,  amending  Regulations  (EC)  No 883/2004,  (EU)  No 492/2011,  and  (EU) 
2016/589 and repealing Decision (EU) 2016/344, OJL-186, 11.07.2019, p. 21. 

5 

 
                                                 
agriculture,  construction,  catering,  cleaning,  hospitality  (e.g.  hotels)  and  care  (e.g. 
nail bars).  

For  combatting  and  preventing  trafficking  for  labour  exploitation  in  the  international 
supply  chains  of  products,  several  Member  States  reported  on  the  adoption  of 
measures  for  addressing  the  responsibility  of  businesses  and  legal  persons,  due 
diligence in the supply chain, and the relation between business and human rights 
(e.g.  Greece,  the  Netherlands,  Austria).  Civil  society  organisations  emphasise  the 
importance  of  increasing  transparency  in  the  product  supply  chains,  where  human 
trafficking  in  human  beings  often  occurs,  as  well  as  introducing  due  diligence 
requirements. 

2.3. Other forms of exploitation  

Victims of trafficking for other forms of exploitation accounted for 18% of the victims21. 
This included mainly cases of trafficking for forced begging, for forced criminalities, and 
also trafficking for selling of babies, for organ removal22, for illegal adoption, trafficking 
of  EU  nationals  being  financially  exploited  through  fraud,  and  trafficking  in  human 
beings through surrogacy.  

Trafficking for forced criminality and for forced begging 

These forms of exploitation were reportedly increasing in some Member States, namely 
Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Greece,  The  Netherlands,  Poland,  and  often  involve  children. 
Trafficking  for  forced  criminality  is  associated  with  petty  crime,  organised  property 
crime  such  as  pickpocketing  or  shoplifting,  and  theft.  It  is  also  associated  with  more 
complex forms of crime, including aggravated theft and fraud or selling and trafficking 
of  drugs.  Both  forms  of  exploitation  are  characterised  by  a  high  level  of  movement 
between  countries.  Reports  show  that  victims  of  trafficking  for  forced  begging  include 
people  with  substance  and  alcohol  abuse  disorders,  physically  disabled  people,  who 
belong to ethnic minorities, including people from marginalised Roma communities, or 
are in  difficult financial situations. Victims of trafficking for forced criminality and for 
forced  begging  tend  to  be  younger  than  those  subject  to  other  forms  of  exploitation. 
Significant  challenges  remain  as  regards  identifying  and  recognising  victims  trafficked 
and exploited for these purposes. 

Trafficking in human beings for forced and exploitative sham marriages 

Victims trafficked for forced and exploitative sham marriages are sometimes reported as 
victims  to  other  forms  of  trafficking,  including  sexual  exploitation  and/or  labour 
exploitation.  Women  and  children  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  trafficking  for  these 
purposes. The prevalence of victims from marginalised Roma communities and the link 
with migration due to the vulnerability of migrant women and girls was identified. 

21   More  disaggregated  information  on  the  forms  of  exploitation  is  available  in  “Data  collection  on 

trafficking in human beings in the EU” (2020). 

22   17 cases of trafficking for organ removal were reported in the EU by the Member States during 2017 

and 2018.  

6 

 
                                                 
2.4. Child trafficking  

The continued presence of children among victims of trafficking is alarming. Children 
constitute nearly a quarter of all victims in the EU. The vast majority of child victims 
in the EU were girls (78%). Nearly 75% of all child victims in the EU were EU citizens. 
Girls  represented almost  three  quarters (69%) of the non-EU child  victims. More than 
60%  of  child  victims  in  the  EU  have  been  trafficked  for  the  purpose  of  sexual 
exploitation.  Child  trafficking  remains  a  major  concern,  notably  trafficking  in  girls 
and  boys  for  sexual  exploitation  and  for  forced  criminality  for  property  crimes  such  as 
pickpocketing or shoplifting, for drug-related crimes, such as cannabis cultivation23, and 
for  forced,  early  age  and  sham  marriages.  Children  in  migration,  and  in  particular 
unaccompanied  migrant  children,  continue  to  be  at  higher  risk  of  trafficking  and 
exploitation  along  migration  routes  towards  and  within  the  EU.  Traffickers  have 
frequently used reception centres to identify potential victims and to arrange for them to 
be transported to places of exploitation24. 

iv) 

initiatives, 

training,  v)  awareness  and 

Member States and EU actors have made worthwhile efforts to address child trafficking, 
including  through  i)  guidance  documents,  ii)  cooperation  and  support  structures, 
information  actions, 
iii) prevention 
vi) education,  and  vii)  operational  actions  by  law  enforcement  including  cross-border 
actions. Nevertheless, the persistence of child trafficking requires stronger measures 
to prevent and combat this crime effectively. The Council Conclusions on combating 
the sexual abuse of children reiterate that the fight against sexual abuse and the sexual 
exploitation  of  children  often  also  involves  tackling  organised  crime  and  human 
trafficking25.  The  EU  strategy  for  a  more  effective  fight  against  child  sexual  abuse, 
adopted in 2020, further highlighted that prevention efforts need to take into account the 
specific  circumstances  for  various  groups  of  children,  including  child  victims  of 
trafficking26. 

2.5. Emerging patterns 

The methods used by traffickers have changed due to the extensive use of the  internet 
and  social  media,  and  the  deployment  of  new  technology  in  many  stages  of  the 
trafficking  chain.  Traffickers  are  becoming  more  skilled  at  using  technologies  and  the 
internet  to  expand  their  criminal  activities  online  and  to  invest  and  hide  their  criminal 
proceeds. In a number of Member States, the internet and related social media have been 
among  the  predominant  tools  used  to  recruit  trafficking  victims,  with  children  being 
particularly  at  risk.  Information  and  communication  technology  is  being  used  for  the 
the 
recruitment, 
advertisement  of  services  of  victims,  communication  between  perpetrators  and  the 
control of victims and transfer of criminal proceeds. Civil society organisations also point 
to the growing risk of the internet being used for trafficking in human beings, particularly 
for sexual exploitation for profit. 

transport  and  accommodation  of  victims, 

the  organisation  of 

23   Europol, European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) 4th Annual Activity Report – 2019. 
24  Ibid. 
25   12862/19. 
26   EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse (COM(2020) 607 final). 

7 

 
                                                 
However,  technology  can  play  an  important  role  in  preventing  and  disrupting  human 
trafficking.  Civil  society  organisations  highlight  the  need  to  further  develop  and 
implement  technological  measures  to  address  the  crime.  More  attention  needs  to  be 
paid to exploring and leveraging the use of new technologies to prevent and disrupt 
trafficking in human beings and protect the victims. 

Further emerging trends reported by Europol concern organised crime groups engaging 
in  trafficking  in  human  beings  for  the  purpose  of  illegal  adoptions27.  In  addition, 
trafficking  for  multiple  forms  of  exploitation  was  identified  as  an  emerging  pattern 
with women and girls appearing to be particularly vulnerable to this. Cases of trafficking 
for  selling  of  babies,  for  selling  of  organs,  trafficking  of  EU  citizens  with  the  aim  to 
give birth and sell their babies and trafficking of EU nationals being financially exploited 
through  fraud  were  reported.  Some  civil  society  organisations  have  raised  concerns 
about emerging forms of trafficking in human beings for surrogacy. 

2.6. Migration 

Over the past three years, arrivals of migrants seeking international protection in the EU 
have  continued.  The  identification  and  detection  of  victims  or  potential  victims  of 
trafficking  in  mixed  migration  flows  remains  a  challenge.  Reports  have  linked  the 
migration  context  to  an  increased  risk  of  trafficking  in  human  beings,  with  trafficking 
networks  abusing  the  vulnerabilities  of  high-risk  groups  as  well  as  asylum  procedures, 
mainly for the purpose of subsequent sexual exploitation. Trafficking in human beings is 
a  complex  criminal  phenomenon  linked  to  various  other  crimes,  including  supporting 
offences facilitating the different stages of the trafficking chain in specific contexts, such 
as the smuggling of migrants.  

Addressing these challenges requires a wide range of actors to extensively cooperate in 
order  to  further  develop  and  improve  existing  referral  systems,  enhance  cooperation 
among national authorities and support organisations (e.g. when returning the victims to 
their  country  of  origin),  seek  the  support  and  guidance  of  EU  agencies  (e.g.  European 
Border  and  Coast  Guard,  Fundamental  Rights  Agency,  European  Asylum  and  Support 
Office, Europol) and work with international organisations (e.g. in the case of voluntary 
returns).  Collaboration  with  countries  of  origin  and  transit  and  with  key  stakeholders, 
including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Organization 
for Migration, the United Nations International Childrens Fund, the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development 
and civil society organisations is key.   

Europol28  highlights  the  links  between  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  other  crimes  in 
the  context  of  migration.  For  example,  Nigerian  networks  significantly  influence  the 
criminal  landscape  in  the  EU  by  regularly  cooperating  with  local  criminal  groups  in 
carrying  out  other  forms  of  organised  crime.  Based  on  Member  States’  operational 
contributions,  Europol  has  further  indicated  that  those  networks  ‘abuse  the  asylum 

27   EMSC 4th Annual Activity Report, 2019. 
28   https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/emsc-4th-annual-activity-report-–-2019  

8 

 
                                                 
 
mechanism  to  legalise  both  theirs  and  their  victims’  status.  Many  suspects  involved  in 
trafficking in human beings hold legal residence permits, are currently asylum applicants, 
or have refugee status 29. 

Vulnerable  migrant  and  refugee  women  as  well  as  unaccompanied  minors  have  been 
reported at persistent risk to become victims of trafficking. Civil society organisations 
point  out  that  the  migration  and  gender  aspects  of  the  crime  are  not  sufficiently 
recognised, which results in the disproportionate targeting of women and girls for sexual 
exploitation. Furthermore,  situations of vulnerability that migration can create, result in 
higher  risks  for  women  applying  for  international  protection  falling  victim  to  human 
trafficking and other forms of gender-based violence, such as rape or domestic violence, 
in  particular  due  to  difficulties  in  accessing  safe  accommodation  and  adequate 
counselling.  Civil  society  organisations  stress  the  need  for  a  gender-sensitive 
approach to assisting and supporting victims trafficked for sexual exploitation.  

Scaling  up  prevention  and  prosecution  efforts  and  strategies  by  Member  States  could 
bring  change  forward.  The  European  Asylum  Support  Office  (EASO)  reports  on 
several  factors  that  may  impair  the  ability  of  trafficking  victims  to  present  and 
substantiate an application for international protection. These challenges include the 
lack  of  identification  of  victims  of  trafficking  and  of  people  at  risk  of  being  exploited 
among  applicants;  ineffective  referral  mechanism  to  provide  adequate  support  to  the 
victims; or the lack of places in dedicated reception/protection centres which may hinder 
the  support  and  protection  of  the  victims.  Victims  are  also  sometimes  directed  to  the 
national  mechanism  without  their  potential  needs  for  international  protection  being 
considered and as a result, their refugee status may not be recognised. 

The differences in  policies and rules applicable to  non-EU trafficking victims may 
affect  them  in  accessing  their  rights,  including  those  who  apply  for  international 
protection30. Victims of human trafficking may be transferred to the country where they 
were  exploited  when  they  first  arrived,  therefore  becoming  more  accessible  to  the 
traffickers,  and  more  exposed  to  the  risk  of  being  re-trafficked.  In  this  regard,  civil 
society  organisations  have  drawn  attention  to  the  provisions  of  the  Dublin  III 
Regulation31, the EU Anti-trafficking Directive and the Residence Permit Directive32. 

III.  RESULTS  OF  ACTIONS  TO  ADDRESS  TRAFFICKING  IN  HUMAN 
BEINGS 

The  correct  and  complete  transposition  and  full  implementation  of  the  Anti-
Trafficking  Directive  remains  a  priority  for  the  Commission.  In  this  context,    EU 

29   https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/emsc-4th-annual-activity-report-–-2019  
30   European  Commission,  Study  on  Reviewing  the  functioning  of  Member  States’  national  and 

transnational referral mechanisms ( 2020). 

31  Regulation  (EU)  No  604/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  26  June  2013 
establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining 
an  application  for  international  protection  lodged  in  one  of  the  Member  States  by  a  third-country 
national or a stateless person, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013. 

32   Council  Directive  2004/81/EC  of  29  April  2004  on  the  residence  permit  issued  to  third-country 
nationals who are victims of trafficking in human beings or who have been the subject of an action to 
facilitate illegal immigration, who cooperate with the competent authorities, OJ L 261, 6.8.2004. 

9 

 
                                                 
actions  includied funding support, providing guidance, developing knowledge and 
enhancing  cooperation  in  the  prosecution  of  criminals  and  dismantling  their 
networks,  enabling  stakeholders  to  identify,  assist  and  support  victims,  and 
contributing to the prevention of the crime. 

The  2016  ‘Transposition  report’33  showed  that  Member  States  had  made  substantial 
efforts to transpose the Anti-Trafficking Directive. However, it noted that there remained 
a  significant  room  for  improvement  in  particular  as  regards  specific  child  protection 
measures, presumption of childhood and child age assessment, the protection before and 
during  criminal  proceedings,  access  to  unconditional  assistance,  compensation,  non-
punishment,  assistance  and  support  to  the  family  member  of  a  child  victim  as  well  as 
prevention.  These  findings  were  followed  up  via  information  requests  to  the  Member 
States  in  March  2019.  The  Commission  received  replies  from  all  27  Member  States 
bound  by  the  Anti-Trafficking  Directive34.  It  will  continue  to  closely  monitor  the 
implementation  in  accordance  with  its  powers  under  the  Treaties  and  may  take 
appropriate actions, including, where necessary, initiating infringement procedures. 

3.1 Countering the culture of impunity 

A culture of impunity prevails when those involved in the criminal business model and in 
the  trafficking  chain  do  not  face  consequences  for  their  criminal  acts.  The  Anti-
Trafficking Directive requires the Member States to ensure that: 

  effective  investigative  tools  are  available  to  investigators  and  prosecution 

 

 

services; 
individuals, units and services investigating and prosecuting trafficking offences 
are trained; and  
investigators  and  prosecution  services  are  not  dependent  on  victims’  reports  or 
accusations.  

Trafficking is driven by the huge profits it renders to organised crime groups. Reducing 
demand in an effective way requires actions to deprive traffickers of their financial gain 
and  to  ensure  that  crime  does  not  pay.  Seizing  and  confiscating  criminal  proceeds  and 
profits,  and  ‘following  the  money’,  also  via  financial  investigations  and  joint 
investigations,  remain  key  to  disrupting  the  criminal  business  model.  Holding 
perpetrators  accountable  through,  among  other  things,  arrests,  prosecutions  and 
convictions  increases  deterrence  as  a  method  of  prevention.  Countering  the  culture  of 
impunity  and  increasing  accountability  require  intensifying  investigations,  prosecutions 
and convictions, not only against traffickers, but also against those who profit from the 
crime and exploit the victims. 

The impunity of perpetrators in the EU persists, and the numbers of prosecutions 
and  convictions  of  traffickers  remain  low.  There  were  11 788  suspects,  6 163 
prosecutions and 2 426 convictions in the EU in 2017-2018 in relation to trafficking in 

33   COM(2016) 722 final; to be read in conjunction with the Report responding to the obligation of Article 

23(2) COM(2016) 719 of the Anti-trafficking Directive. 

34  Denmark is not bound, the UK is bound. 

10 

 
 
                                                 
human  beings  offences.  The  reasons  behind  the  higher  number  of  suspects  and 
prosecutions and the lower number of convictions than in the previous reporting period35 
may  be  attributed  to  many  factors,  which  caution  against  making  a  conclusive  trend 
analysis.  Nevertheless,  the  low  numbers  of  prosecutions  and  even  more  so,  the  low 
number of convictions of traffickers in the EU compared to the number of investigations, 
indicate that bringing perpetrators to justice continues to be a challenge. The challenges 
for  law  enforcement  and  judicial  authorities  include  i) evidentiary  difficulties  to  prove 
the complex elements of the offence; ii) ensuring there is the right level of resources and 
knowledge for carrying out financial investigations; and iii) difficulties in  cross-border 
and  international  cooperation.  The high  number  of  registered  victims  within  the  EU 
calls  for  a  strong  criminal  justice  response  to  eradicate  the  impunity  of  the 
perpetrators and make the trafficking crime a ‘high- risk low-profit’ crime.  

France reported the highest number of prosecutions for trafficking in human beings in the 
EU,  followed  by  Belgium,  Romania,  Austria  and  Bulgaria.  France  also  registered  the 
highest number of convictions for the offences of trafficking in human beings in the EU, 
followed by Romania, Germany, Spain and Belgium.  70%  of the convicted  traffickers 
are EU citizens. The majority of traffickers carried out their crime for the purpose 
of sexual exploitation. Less than one-fifth of all perpetrators trafficked victims for 
labour exploitation. Men continued to form the majority of perpetrators, accounting 
for more than two thirds of those suspected, prosecuted and convicted for trafficking.  

Many Member States reported on law enforcement and judicial actions taken to equip 
authorities  with  special  investigation  techniques  and  to  give  them  specific 
responsibilities  to  investigate  and  prosecute  trafficking  offences.  Efforts  have  been 
made  towards  increased  financial  investigations,  joint  investigations  and  cross-
border  cooperation,  as  well  as  measures  to  seize  and  confiscate  criminal  proceeds. 
Member States are increasingly using EU  cooperation tools, resources and large-scale 
information systems, notably with the support of EU agencies, to exchange information 
and  carry  out  joint  activities.  Many  Member  States  report  that  the  joint  investigation 
teams  have  proven  to  be  a  particularly  effective  cooperation  tool  contributing  to  the 
quality  and  efficiency  of  pre-trial  investigations  with  rapid  information  exchange  and 
gathering  of  evidence.  Trafficking  in  human  beings  is  among  the  crime  areas  with  the 
highest  number  of  established  joint  investigations  teams36.  Eurojust  has  registered  an 
increasing  number  of  trafficking  cases,  coordination  meetings  and  joint  investigation 
teams on trafficking in human beings in 2018-2019 as compared to previous years37.  

35   European  Commission,  Second report on  the  progress  made  in  the  fight  against  trafficking  in  human 
beings  (2018)  as  required  under  Article  20  of  Directive  2011/36/EU  on  preventing  and  combating 
trafficking  in  human  beings  and  protecting  its  victims,  COM(2018)  777  final,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM%3A2018%3A777%3AFIN,  and 
its  accompanying 
document, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0473&from=EN; Study on data collection on trafficking 
in  human  beings  in  the  EU  (2018),  https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-
do/policies/european-agenda-security/20181204_data-collection-study.pdf 

SWD(2018) 

final, 

473 

36   In  2019,  26  out  of  103  joint  investigation teams  were  established  to  deal  with  cases  of  trafficking  in 

human beings.  

37   4 coordination centres, 96 coordination meetings, 333 new trafficking in human beings cases, 118 joint 

investigation teams dealing with  trafficking cases in 2018-2019.  

11 

 
                                                 
Europol has received a growing number of contributions from Member States, resulting 
in  a  significant  increase  in  the  assistance  provided  to  law  enforcement  authorities.  In 
2019, operational actions carried out under EMPACT in the area of trafficking in human 
beings resulted in 825 arrests, 8 824 suspects and 1 307 potential victims, including 69 
children  identified,  94  organized  crime  groups,  identified  or  dismantled  and  EUR  1.5 
million  of  assets  frozen  in  bank  accounts,  companies  and  web  domains38.  Although  a 
number of Member States are increasingly using criminal justice tools for freezing 
and confiscating criminal assets, the overall rate of confiscation of criminal assets in 
the EU remains low. 

Competent  authorities  consider  the  use  of  large-scale  IT  systems,  including  the  Visa 
Information  System,  the  Schengen  Information  System  (SIS  II),  and  Eurodac39  for 
preventing, investigating and/or prosecuting serious crime including cases of trafficking 
in human beings. The use of SIS II enables authorities to detect (including with the use of 
fingerprints), investigate and prosecute traffickers and to identify and protect victims. It 
also enables the localisation and seizure of certain items used by perpetrators for example 
vehicles,  boats,  containers  and  travel  documents.  The  Member  States,  the  Commission 
and eu-LISA40 are planning further improvements/preparing to further strengthen the SIS 
II,  which  will  give  the  law  enforcement  community  additional  means  as  of  the  end  of 
2021.  Modernising  the  interoperability  framework  could  be  an  important  factor  in 
improving the identification of victims of trafficking, including children, and perpetrators 
of the crime.  

Preventing  trafficking  has  been  the  overarching  priority  of  the  2017  Commission 
Communication  on  stepping  up  EU  action  to  address  trafficking  in  human  beings  (the 
‘2017  Communication’)41.  The  Anti-trafficking  Directive 
lays  down  concrete 
requirements for Member States, including action to discourage and reduce the demand 
for  trafficking,  as  well  as  for  awareness  raising,  training,  and  considering  the 
criminalisation of users of services exacted from victims of trafficking.  As a key action 
under  the  2017  Communication,  the  European  Commission  has  encouraged  Member 
States to criminalise those knowingly using services exacted from victims of trafficking.  
The analysis in the European Commission’s 2016 ‘Users report’ showed a rather diverse 
legal landscape in the EU, which ‘fails to effectively contribute to discouraging demand 
of  such  services.’42  At  national  level,  legislative  measures  taken  under  Article  18(4)  of 
the  Anti-Trafficking  Directive  follow  different  approaches  to  prevent  the  crime  from 
happening  and  to  reduce  illegal  demand  for  the  ‘services’,  ‘use’  or  ‘exploitation’  of 
victims  of  human  trafficking.  These  differences  include  the  scope,  the  aims  and/or 
specific  requirements  of  such  national  measures.  Since  the  second  progress  report,  few 

38  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/44281/information-note-empact.pdf; 

https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/videos/127612-empact-2019-results-20200602. 
full 
EMPACT factsheets of results 2019 are available here (data on the fight against trafficking  in human 
beings are on pages 6 & 7): https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7623-2020-INIT/en/pdf 
39   The EURODAC Regulation establishes an EU asylum fingerprint database: https://ec.europa.eu/home-

The 

affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/identification-of-applicants_en 

40   The European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area 

of Freedom, Security and Justice 

41   COM(2017)728 final. 
42   COM(2016) 719 final. 

12 

 
                                                 
Member States reported on adopting new laws or amending existing legislation to reduce 
demand  or  criminalise  the  use  of  services  of  trafficking  victims  (e.g.  Estonia,  Cyprus, 
Luxembourg,  Sweden,  and  Ireland).  The  Netherlands  reported  on  ongoing  legislative 
initiatives and others, for example Latvia, Hungary, Spain, are considering legislation. 

Civil  society  organisations  highlight  that  where  such  legislative  provisions  exist,  its 
enforcement is limited while prosecutions and convictions are only gradually starting to 
materialise.  They  support  for  the  Commission’s  priority  of  encouraging  those  Member 
States  who  have  not  done  so  to  criminalise  those  who  knowingly  use  the  services  of 
trafficking  victims  and  highlight  the  importance  of  criminalising  the  use  of  services 
exacted from the victims for all forms of exploitation. 

Data  on  the  criminal  offence  of  the  use  of  the  services  of  trafficking  victims,  as 
established in national law,  was  collected for the second time.  Eleven Member States 
reported a total of 170 suspects, 162 prosecutions and 133 convictions in relation to the 
criminal offence of the use of the services of trafficking victims. 

3.2 Access to and realisation of the rights of the victims 

One of the priorities set out in the 2017 Communication was to ‘provide better access to 
and realise the rights for victims’. EU law provides for victims of trafficking in human 
beings to be assisted, supported and protected under different legislative acts, including 
the  Anti-trafficking  Directive,  Directive  2004/81/EC  on  Residence  permits,  Directive 
2012/29/EU on Victims’ Rights43 and the Compensation Directive44. Member States and 
civil  society  organisations  reported  that  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  legislative 
and  policy  developments,  which  enable  victims  to  access  and  exercise  their  rights  to 
assistance,  support  and  protection,  including  in  a  cross-border  context.  Many  Member 
States participated in the campaign run by the European Crime Prevention Network and 
Europol on the rights of victims of human trafficking45, which aimed at reaching out to 
potential  victims  and  inform  them  about  assistance,  protection,  as  well  as  their  rights 
across EU countries46.  

Attending  to  victims’  specific  needs,  while  taking  into  account  their  personal 
history, and ensuring they have personalised services were identified as priorities in 
many  reports.  Member  States  and  civil  society  organisations  recalled  the  need  for 
an  efficient  and  effective  multidisciplinary  and  multi-agency  approach,  including 
the  use  of  multilingual  staff.  Many  legislative  changes  concerned  transposing  and 
implementing  the  Victims’  Rights  Directive  including  for  the  protection  of  victims  in 
criminal procedures and for protection and support measures for child victims.   

43   Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing 
minimum  standards  on  the  rights,  support  and  protection  of  victims  of  crime,  and  replacing  Council 
Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA, OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 57. 

44   Council Directive 2004/80/EC of 29 April 2004 relating to compensation to crime victims,  OJ L 261, 

6.8.2004, p. 15. 

45   https://eucpn.org/preventhumantrafficking  
46   The  23  participating  countries  are  Austria,  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic, 
Estonia,  Greece,  Hungary,  Iceland,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Luxembourg,  Malta,  The  Netherlands, 
Norway,  Poland,  Portugal,  Romania,  Slovak  Republic,  Slovenia 
and  Spain.  See: 
https://eucpn.org/preventhumantrafficking  

13 

 
                                                 
All but one Member State have national referral mechanisms in place, to improve early 
identification,  assistance  and  support  to  victims  of  trafficking.  The  scope,  functioning 
and  level  of  formalisation  of  the  referral  mechanisms  vary  across  Member  States.  All 
Member  States  have  in  place  at  least  some  type  of  measure  and  procedure  aiming  at 
improving identification (e.g. indicators, guidelines focused on specific high-risk groups, 
joint  initiative  of  law  enforcement,  labour  inspectors,  and  migration  services).  For 
example, Greece reports that its National Referral Mechanism entered into force in 2019. 
Spain set up a procedure for the referral of potential victims of trafficking who apply for 
international protection at Madrid Barajas airport. Helplines for victims of trafficking are 
another  tool  that  enable  victims  to  be  identified  as  well  as  to  gain  access  to  support 
services. In addition, the formal identification of child victims requires additional actors, 
procedures to be adjusted and, generally, the principle of the best interest of the child to 
be applied. Aside from law enforcement, police and border authorities and civil society 
organisations,  other  entities  are  also  involved  in  identifying  child  victims  such  as 
migration  officers,  labour  inspectors  and  diplomatic  services.  The  Study  on  Reviewing 
the functioning of National and Transnational Referral Mechanisms highlighted specific 
challenges in the identification of victims within their own Member States, notably due 
to detection system being specifically tailored to identify non-EU victims, and not being 
effective enough in assisting EU victims, especially children47. 

Member States reported on child specific measures aimed at improving the identification 
of and referral procedures for victims of trafficking. These included adopting guidance, 
setting  up  specialised 
institutions  and  accommodation  centres,  and  amending 
guardianship laws for children deprived of parental care48. 

Gender-specific  measures  included  the  adoption  of  policy  instruments  providing 
information  to  healthcare  staff  to  identify  women  and  girls  victims  of  trafficking  for 
sexual  exploitation,  training  and  guidance  on  gender-based  violence,  including  sexual 
exploitation,  for  immigration  authorities,  and  implementation  of  assistance  procedures 
especially addressing women and children in the hotspots.  Member States reported that 
increased knowledge and capacity of national authorities and other stakeholders involved 
in  the  identification  process  and  improvement  of  referral  procedures  improved  the 
identification  of  victims,  resulting  in  a  higher  number  of  victims  being  identified. 
However,  for  children  applying  for  international  protection,  the  involvement  of  child 
protection  services  in  referral  mechanisms  is  currently  limited,  and  needs  to  be 
strengthened.  

Member  States  also  highlighted  that  having  clearly  defined  processes  in  place,  with 
established  roles  and  data  available  disaggregated  by  gender  and  age  was  useful  for 
measuring  the  scale  of  the  phenomenon  and  identifying  the  needs  that  are  to  be 
addressed.  Civil  society  organisations  deplored  their  exclusion  from  the  official 
identification process in some EU Member States. They also highlighted an inconsistent 

47   European  Commission,  Study  on  Reviewing  the  functioning  of  Member  States’  national  and 

transnational referral mechanisms, 2020. 

48   The  Fundamental  Rights  Agency  has  continued  to  support  Member  States  in  strengthening 
guardianship  systems,  such  as  Greece  and  Italy,  including  a  focus  on  child  victims  of  trafficking  in 
human beings.  

14 

 
                                                 
application of recovery and reflection periods across Member States, a lack of early legal 
intervention and a lack of training for professionals involved in the identification process, 
which  may  lead  to  victims  not  being  formally  identified.  The  application  of  the  non-
punishment clause, according to which victims should not be penalised for crimes they 
were compelled to commit, and victims’ access to compensation remain to be addressed. 

3.3 Overarching actions  

As a complex  phenomenon, trafficking  in  human beings has  continued to  be addressed 
systematically  in  key  relevant  EU  policy  areas  across  the  board  such  as  security, 
migration,  justice,  gender  equality,  anti-discrimination,  fundamental  rights,  child 
protection,  employment,  agriculture  and 
research,  and 
humanitarian aid49.  

fisheries,  development, 

There is a strong link between the external and internal dimension of trafficking in 
human  beings.  The  Commission  services  and  the  European  External  Action  Service 
have  carried  out  extensive  work  to  ensure  a  coherent  and  coordinated  approach  to 
addressing this crime. Trafficking in human beings is addressed in a wide range of policy 
instruments, including, the Global Strategy for the EU Foreign and Security Policy, the 
Action  Plan  on  Human  Rights  and  Democracy  2020-202450,  the  Joint  Communication 
‘Towards  a  comprehensive  strategy  with  Africa’51,  the  EU  Western  Balkans  strategy52 
and the European neighbourhood policy.  

Civilian  and  military  Common  Security  and  Defence  Policy53 54  missions  are  an 
important  tool  in  fighting  organised  crime.  In  the  Central  Mediterranean,  EUNAVFOR 
MED Operation Sophia has played a decisive role in improving overall maritime security 
and  has  helped  disrupt  and  dismantle  the  business  model  and  criminal  networks  of 
migrants  smugglers  and  traffickers  and  improve  cooperation  with  a  wide  range  of 
organisations. Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI has replaced Operation Sophia from 
31 March 2020, with a core task to implement the UN arms embargo in Libya, while also 
contributing  to  disrupting  the  business  model  of  networks  for  migrant  smuggling  and 
trafficking in human beings. 

49   As  recent  examples,  see:  A  Union  of  Equality:  Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-2025  (A  Union  of 
Equality:  Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-2025);  the  EU  Strategy  on  victims’  rights  (2020-2025) 
(COM(2020)  258  final);  the  EU  strategy  for  a  more  effective  fight  against  child  sexual  abuse 
(COM(2020) 607 final); EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs 2021-2025 (COM(2020) 606 final). 
50   Annex  to  the  Joint Communication  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  “EU  Action  Plan  on 

Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024”, JOIN(2020) 5 final, 
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/10101/2020/EN/JOIN-2020-5-F1-EN-ANNEX-1-PART-
1.PDF  

51   Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council “Towards a comprehensive strategy 
https://ec.europa.eu/international-

with 
partnerships/system/files/communication-eu-africa-strategy-join-2020-4-final_en.pdf  

JOIN(2020) 

Africa” 

final, 

52   Strasbourg, 6.2.2018 COM(2018) 65 final. 
53   JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Joint Action Plan Implementing the Civilian CSDP Compact 

4 

8962/19. 

54   Conclusions  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States, 

meeting within the Council, on the establishment of a Civilian CSDP Compact, 14305/18. 

15 

 
                                                 
 
Trafficking in human beings is extensively addressed in the development and cooperation 
instruments  relating  to  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development.  Trafficking  is 
included under three specific targets, including eliminating all forms of violence against 
women  and  girls,  including  for  sexual  exploitation  (Sustainable  Development  Goal 
(SDG)  5.2),  eradication  of  trafficking  and  forced  labour  (SDG  8.7)  and  eradication  of 
trafficking  of  children  (SDG  16.2).  The  EU  is  involved  in  the  process  that  reviews  the 
United  Nations  Convention  against  Transnational  Organized  Crime  and  its  Protocols, 
including in the area of trafficking in human beings.  

Numerous external policies, partnerships and initiatives with third countries or regional 
organisations have continued to address trafficking in human beings, notably as part of 
the follow up to the Joint Valetta action Plan such as the Khartoum and Rabat processes.   

Enabling  funding  for  anti-trafficking  initiatives  within  the  EU  and  in  partner  countries 
has  also  remained  a  priority.  Member  States  reported  on  projects  under  shared 
management  funding  via  the  national  programmes  operating  the  Internal  Security  Fund  
or the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; and transnational projects funded under 
the  EU  grants  of  Internal  Security  Fund-Police  and  Asylum,  Migration  and  Integration 
Fund. Projects also continued to be funded from: 

  other  EU  funding  streams  (e.g.  European  Union’s  Rights,  Equality  and 

Citizenship Programme); 

  EMPACT actions, provided for under the budgets of EU agencies; 
  national funding; 
 
 
  Glo.Act Initiative, the Development Cooperation Instrument; and 
 

through the EU-UN Spotlight initiative;  
the EU Trust Fund for Africa; 

the European Development Fund. 

To  enable  policy  coherence  and  consistency,  coordination  work  at  EU  level 
continued via: 

 

the  thematic  and  structured  meetings  of  the  EU  Civil  Society  Platform  against 
trafficking in human beings, and of the EU network of national rapporteurs and 
equivalent mechanisms; 

  coordination  meetings  of  the  10  EU  agencies  who,  in  2018,  signed  the  joint 

statement of commitment to work together against trafficking;  

 

the European Commission’s inter-service group; and  

  meetings with other EU institutions (European Parliament and Council).  

International  cooperation  has  also  continued,  including  with  international  organisations 
and UN bodies. 

4  CONCLUSIONS 

16 

 
The  main  findings  of  this  report  indicate  that  trafficking  in  human  beings  has  not 
diminished,  but  has  rather  evolved  within  the  EU  and  new  risks  have  arisen.  A  huge 
number  of  victims  continue  to  suffer  from  violence,  threats  and  the  immense  harm 
caused by trafficking. The existence of trafficking in human beings triggers tremendous 
human, social and  economic costs while  traffickers  and other actors who knowingly  or 
unknowingly  are  involved  in  illicit  businesses  in  the  trafficking  chain,  make  enormous 
profits.  Countering  the  culture  of  impunity  of  perpetrators,  users,  exploiters  and 
profiteers is essential to improve the status quo. 

The  report  also  notes  worthwhile  progress  has  been  made  on  transnational  cooperation 
within the EU and  with non-EU countries, including  cross-border law enforcement and 
judicial operational actions, and as regards putting in place and improving national and 
transnational  referral  mechanisms  and  developing  the  knowledge  base  about  the 
phenomenon.  Nevertheless,  the  number  of  prosecutions  and  convictions  remains  low, 
whereas  the  number  of  victims  remains  high.  The  rather  diverse  legal  landscape  on 
criminalising the use of services exacted from victims of trafficking may hamper further 
efforts to discourage demand for such services. When victims receive assistance, support 
and protection, their needs are not taken into account as regards the forms of exploitation 
they  are  subjected  to,  their  gender  and  age  and  their  specific  needs  and  circumstances. 
Data recording and reporting remains inconsistent. The concerns identified highlight the 
poor implementation of the Anti-trafficking Directive in Member States, and it needs to 
be further stepped up.  

Trafficking in human beings is a transnational crime feeding illegal demands from within 
and outside the EU and is having a negative impact on all EU Member States. Stepping 
up  security  partnerships  between  the  EU  and  non-EU  countries  could  increase 
cooperation  to  counter  shared  threats.  Such  an  approach  would  be  based  on  common 
security  interests  and  build  on  established  cooperation  and  security  dialogue55.  The 
insufficient  progress  made  and  the  evolving  trafficking  trends  call  for  a  new  strategic 
approach  towards  eradicating  trafficking  in  human  beings.  These  actions  will  be 
developed in the context of the Agenda on tackling organised crime. 

55   COM(2020) 605 final. 

17