The Diplomat
The European Commission proposed yesterday to strengthen the rules preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, including the criminalization of forced marriage and illegal adoption. The proposed Directive provides for offences committed or facilitated through information technology; mandatory sanctions for legal persons found responsible for trafficking in human beings; and annual EU-wide data collection on trafficking in human beings to be published by Eurostat.
The updated rules, according to the European Commission Representation in Spain, will provide stronger tools for law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute new forms of exploitation. The Commission’s proposal introduces mandatory sanctions against companies and not just individuals for trafficking offenses. It also aims to improve early identification and victim support procedures in the Member States, in particular through the creation of a European referral mechanism.
It is now up to the European Parliament and the Council to examine the proposal. Once adopted, Member States will have to transpose the new rules into their national legislation.
Every year, more than 7,000 people are victims of human trafficking in the EU. The annual cost of human trafficking in the EU amounts to EUR 2.7 billion. The majority of victims are women and girls, but the proportion of male victims is also increasing, especially for the purpose of labor exploitation.
