Objective 10: Prevent, combat and eradicate trafficking in persons in the context of international migration

The Employer Sanctions Directive sets out rules to target employers who employ irregular migrants. For example, employers hiring undeclared workers would face sanctions, including fines and paying back wages to their workers. In some cases – such as repeated or conscious hiring of undocumented migrants, or hiring of children or victims of human trafficking – the employers could be punished under criminal law. Furthermore, the legislation includes protection measures in favour of non-EU workers, especially those exploited by unscrupulous employers.

There are measures to prevent human trafficking in the fishery industry by establishing Coordination Centers for Sea Fishery Workers with the purpose to coordinate whose workers are allowed to work legally, to set up a system for controlling, monitoring and protecting workers as well as to provide knowledge to employers and workers to acknowledge their rights, as well as to prevent labour shortage and forced labour as a form of human trafficking.

Thailand has developed an alien administration procedure for irregular migrant workers, in order to change their status under the following processes:

The UK Government’s Action Plan published in 2007 sets out a comprehensive strategy to tackle human trafficking and protect and support its victims. Provisions exist for a formal ID and referral process, a reflection period, minimum levels of support and temporary residence in certain circumstances.

Thailand has established 75 operational centres to help coordinate the work of the many stakeholders on the ground and to protect and assist victims of trafficking.

The 2008 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act created a National Committee on Combating Trafficking in Children and Women under the National Youth Commission of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) to coordinate all anti-trafficking efforts.

It has the following tasks: 

In these agreements regulating labour migration flows, the Spanish authorities, through Spanish Embassies in origin countries, notify the origin countries’ authorities of the number and type of workers needed, taking into account existing job offers. (There is no set quota; rather, the employers in Spain request a certain number of needed workers.) Origin countries in turn notify the Spanish authorities, through the Spanish Embassies, of the possibility of meeting this demand with their nationals willing to go to Spain.

The Section Global Programme Migration and Development is a thematically oriented unit that makes use of its operational activities to make a contribution to finding a solution to the global challenges linked to labour migration, internally displaced persons, refugees, and victims of trafficking in human beings. It supports programmes on these themes both financially and by providing know-how, while contributing its experiences within the scope of multilateral dialogue on migration.

The Portuguese Government has adopted since 2007 different National Plans against Trafficking in Human Beings. The first from 2007 - 2010, the second between 2011 - 2013 and the most recent one for the 2014 - 2017 period.

Portugal has already its third National Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings in effect with five strategic areas:

The National Rapporteur reports on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children in the Netherlands. The Rapporteur’s main task is to report on the nature and extent of human trafficking and sexual violence against children in the Netherlands, and on the effects of the government policies pursued. The reports contain information on relevant regulations and legislation, as well as information on prevention, criminal investigations regarding human trafficking and sexual violence against children, prosecution of perpetrators and victim support.