09 Nov 2023 at 20:17
The Council of Europe requires the Netherlands to be more alert to human trafficking of refugees. There are also concerns in the Netherlands, partly due to crowds in reception centers. “If you are mainly concerned with the question of whether there are enough beds, alertness to human trafficking can be lost.”
The Council of Europe said in a statement released Wednesday rapport that the Netherlands should pay closer attention to possible victims of human trafficking in reception locations. These people should receive medical and psychological care sooner, says the organization behind the human rights court in Strasbourg.
The National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence against Children, Conny Rijken, also expresses concerns about the situation surrounding refugees. A month ago, the rapporteur published the annual figures for 2022. These showed an increase in the number of Ukrainian victims, mainly of labor exploitation. But other groups of refugees should also be monitored, was the conclusion at the time.
“Migrants and refugees are in a vulnerable position,” Rijken told NU.nl. They can become victims during the flight, but there are also signals that human traffickers are recruiting at reception locations. “There is plenty of reason to be concerned, the Council of Europe has a good point there.”
What is human trafficking?
In human trafficking, someone is forced to do certain things and hand over the earnings to the person who exploits them. For example, there may be sexual exploitation, labor exploitation or criminal exploitation.
‘Let refugees know where they can go’
The current crowds in the reception system also pose a risk. The regular asylum seeker centers are full and many people are being accommodated in emergency reception locations. It is also very busy in the municipal shelter for Ukrainian refugees.
“If a system functions well, you can train staff on signs of human trafficking,” Rijken explains. She says that human trafficking is already difficult to identify and requires a lot from authorities. “And if you are already wondering whether there will be enough beds, you may lose alertness to human trafficking.”
Human trafficking is therefore not easy to solve. Rijken points out that people must remain alert. “Let refugees know what their rights are, where they can go with questions and ensure they have access to assistance.”
‘The fight against human trafficking is never finished’
The Ministry of Justice and Security says that the fight against human trafficking is never finished and that this is also evident from the Council of Europe report. The ministry will soon provide an official policy response.
The spokesperson points to the approach Together against Human Trafficking that was recently sent to the House of Representatives. According to him, the ministry is also committed to improving the criminalization of human trafficking. “Human trafficking is a terrible form of crime that we must tackle head on.”
Sanne Oving is a domestic reporter at NU.nl
Sanne follows major domestic themes for NU.nl, such as healthcare and asylum.
Image: ANP
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2023-11-09 19:17:19
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