From 24 – 26th of June, La Strada International organised its annual General Assembly (NGO Platform meeting) in Paris, France. Here, European advocacy strategies and legislative changes, ongoing projects, and actions were discussed, next to trends and data over 2023, based on the assistance provided to trafficked persons.
During workshops with input of external speakers, we discussed how to further engage trafficked persons in our work and the use of terminology; how anti-trafficking NGOs can better file THB cases at the ECtHR; which possibilities there are to uphold trafficked persons’ rights in relation to the new EU Asylum and Migration Pact; and the challenges related to the application of the Reflection and Recovery Period, for an upcoming CoE/GRETA study on the issue.
Furthermore, we looked into the referral of victims across Europe and our referral mechanism. We also organised a session on Ukraine and the assistance to displaced persons, questioning what actions to be taken for this group, now the EU Temporary Protection Directive has been extended until March 2026. In 2023, LSI members assisted over 100 persons displaced from Ukraine with indications of human trafficking.