The European Commission released its Fifth Report on the progress made in combating Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) in the European Union. The Report covers statistics for the period of 2021–2022.
The 2022 statistics – which were already published in early 2024 -, highlight an increase of 20.5% in the number of registered trafficked persons, rising from 7,155 to 10,093, with the majority being non-EU citizens (54%).
Sexual exploitation remains the prevalent form of human trafficking, accounting for 49% of all trafficking, of whom 68% were women and 24% girls. Labour exploitation remains the second most prevalent form of trafficking in the EU, involving 37% of human trafficking, 70% of whom were men.
However, in several European countries most of the identified cases relate to trafficking for labour exploitation and it is expected that this will be the leading form of detected trafficking cases in the near future, as also identified as global trend in the UNODC’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. According to the Global Report, sexual exploitation accounts for 50% of trafficking cases in Central and South-Eastern Europe, compared to just 20% in Western and Southern Europe, where labour exploitation is more prevalent.
As outlined in Eurostat’s 2022 figures, Child trafficking, representing 19% of all trafficking, saw a slight decrease compared to the previous report, aligning with the trends identified in the UNODC’s Global Report.
The total number of individuals suspected of THB crimes increased by 16%. Men accounted for the majority of individuals suspected of THB crimes in all Member States, which also reflects the global trend, where 70% of those investigated, prosecuted, and convicted for trafficking are men. The total report also notes a 35% increase, which aligns with the figures from the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. EU citizens accounted for 81% of all prosecuted individuals in 2022. The total number of convictions for THB crimes also increased by 40%, most of which relate to sexual exploitation offences.
As for the advancement of EU commitments under the EU Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (2021-2025), the Commission highlights in particular the revision of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive and the ongoing transposing of this legislation by EUMS, as well the introduction of complementary measures, such as the Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the EU market (November 2024) and efforts to improve financial investigations are being made at the European level through the EMPACT framework, with the Directive on Asset Recovery and Confiscation, adopted in April 2024, to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to trace and confiscate criminal profits.
In addition, the Progress Report mentions the proposed revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive in July 2023 and the recommendation on integrated child protection systems adopted in April 2024, reflecting the EU’s commitment to improving support for those who experienced human trafficking.
The report also reflects on the financial contribution of €25 million from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF) between 2021 and 2024, although the budget execution remains unclear. Moreover, mentioning is made of public awareness, including through the campaign “End human trafficking. Break the invisible chain”.
The Commission also highlights some future initiatives, such as the establishment of an Anti-Trafficking Hub.
This year, the European Commission is set to develop a new EU Strategy on Combating Human Trafficking, as it acknowledges that there is still a long way to go to adequately prevent and combat human trafficking and ensure access to justice for its victims.
Copyright: European Commission