Meeting of the EU Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms on Trafficking in Human Beings in Brussels – 2023
The EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Ms. Diane Schmitt invited all the National Coordinators and Rapporteurs for a meeting in Brussels on 25th and 26th April 2023, which focused on addressing the international dimension of trafficking in human beings.
This Office within the EU Commission for Home Affairs took stock of initiatives adopted by each Member State. Malta was represented by Dr Lynn Chircop Faure serving as the National Coordinator and Rapporteur on matters related to combatting Human Trafficking.
The EU Coordinator informed the participating Member States that for this year's Anti-Trafficking Day - 18 October 2023, an Awareness Raising Campaign will be launched.
The National Coordinators discussed their National Referral Mechanisms, the independence of the Monitoring and Reporting structures, their Coordination and Communication plan on national Initiatives to combat forced labour, sexual exploitation and other forms of trafficking in human beings.
As Chairperson of Malta's Inter-Ministerial Committee, Dr Chircop Faure informed the participating members that as part of the national coordination to raise awareness on THB and strengthen the cooperation among national organisations, stakeholders were invited to share their initiatives with the Human Rights Initiatives Unit to strengthen the collaboration among governmental entities, civil society organisations and the private sector, through the collaboration with the Malta Employers Association and Trade Unions.
Dr Chircop Faure reiterated the importance of sharing of initiatives and good practices between the participating Member States.
The Anti-trafficking Malta social media platforms shall continue to promote activities related to the prevention of the crime, the protection of the victims, prosecution and investigation of cases, partnerships established and training and outreach events, which would be already publicised by other national and International organisations.
This collaborative approach gives another dimension to the Anti-Trafficking Campaign and social media platforms set up with the aim to serve as a notice board to the national agencies responsible to combat human trafficking.
National Rapporteur or Equivalent Mechanism (NREM) on trafficking in human beings
The Directorate also performs the duties of the National Rapporteur or Equivalent Mechanism (NREM) on trafficking in human beings as required by Article 19 of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive. The NREMs play a crucial role in the preparation of the progress reports on trafficking in human beings, shares information and exchanges best practices, and works closely with the EU Anti-trafficking Coordinator (EU ATC).
Senior Manager HRIU participated as National Anti-Trafficking Rapporteur in an event organised by the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Ms Diane Schmitt and the French Presidency Secretary General of the Inter-Ministerial Mission for the protection against violence against women and the fight against trafficking in human beings, Ms Elisabeth Moiron Braud - EU Network of National Rapporteurs or Equivalent Mechanisms on Trafficking in Human Beings held in Brussels on 16 & 17 May 2022.
Event was organised by the EU Commission for Home Affairs in which the Network of National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms and the Civil Society Platform against Trafficking in Human Beings met in Brussels on the 16/17 May 2022 to address the risks of trafficking in human beings and support potential victims among those fleeing the war in Ukraine, the Digital dimension of trafficking in human beings, the Criminalisation of the use of exploited services, preventing and detecting trafficking for labour exploitation and assisting its victims, penalties and sanctions for offences concerning trafficking in human beings.
The keynote addresses on the 17th of May have been streamed Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9E5LxidjLI
EU Anti-Trafficking Day
On October 18, the EU Anti-Trafficking Day is observed to honor those who have been victims of this horrible crime and to increase awareness of and progress in the fight against it. Around October 18th each year, events are held all around the European Union to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and provide an opportunity to advance significant commitments and legislation on this topic. The European Commission, for instance, released its Strategy on Combating Human Trafficking 2021–2025 in the year 2021.
EU Anti-Trafficking Day 2022
The progress made by Malta is highly recognized by the European and international institutions and we shall continue to strive for more prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships to combat this crime.
We are honoured that the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Ms. Diane Schmitt, has given an audio-visual message to Malta to praise its progress in combatting trafficking whilst guaranteeing her continued support.
Senior Manager – Human Rights Initiatives Unit, Dr. Lynn Chircop Faure was invited to speak about the indicators leading to potential victims of human trafficking to mark EU Anti-Trafficking Day.
An article was also published on the Malta Independent to kick off the 2022 EU Anti-Trafficking Day campaign and provide more information on current initiatives in the field. It also served as an official launch of the re-branded Facebook page as the national campaign against trafficking.
EU Anti-Trafficking Day 2021
To mark EU Anti-Trafficking Day, Dr. Lynn Chircop Faure, Senior Manager HRD, appeared on TVAM to raise awareness on human trafficking in Malta and around Europe.
She underlined the cooperation required between local stakeholders as well as Member States at European level, and reiterated the importance of providing adequate structures to protect victims. While the forms of exploitation are varied, the discussion focused on labour exploitation since a Eurostat study found that 82% of registered victims in Malta over the period 2017-2018 were for forced labour.