Project financed by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security - Launching Initiatives supporting Malta’s Efforts to Suppress trafficking - LIMES
Support Tools For Service Providers on Trafficking in Human Beings and Standard Operating Procedures on Identification and Referral of (potential) Victims of Trafficking.
A booklet produced in the framework of the Project “Launching Initiatives supporting Malta’s Efforts to Suppress trafficking - LIMES“, financed by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security.
A Call for Ministerial Action Plans to combat Human Trafficking
The Human Rights Initiatives Unit within the Human Rights Directorate issued a Call for Ministerial Action Plan to identify any gaps which may exist in the legislative, institutional and policy framework for action against this crime and to obtain any recommendations which stakeholders and responsible entities to combat THB would like to put forward.
A set of Guidelines were provided to the Representatives of each Ministry sitting on the Inter-Ministerial Committee. This information will be significant for the drafting of the national strategy to combat THB.
The Focal Persons are regularly required to report on the implementation of the National Action Plan Against Human Trafficking 2020-2023. Templates for reporting purposes are available below.
EU Funded Project - Technical Support Instrument
The Directorate has been awarded assistance through the Technical Support Instrument of the European Union – a project funded by the European Commission’s DG Reform in collaboration with the Council of Europe. Through this project an expert shall be assigned to Malta to support in the drafting of the National Strategy and Action Plan (post 2023). The project activities shall include a thorough study of past and ongoing consultative processes, in-depth needs-analysis whilst taking into account obligations and current recommendations, further consultation with stakeholders and civil society, and a detailed implementation plan feeding into the actual Strategy.
The official launch of the Joint Project on “Supporting Malta in the design and implementation of a new National Anti-Trafficking Strategy” took place on 6th December 2022.
This Joint Project is being implemented by the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Division in co-operation with the European Commission, and is co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). This project is managed by the Human Rights Directorate and shall offer the technical support for the preparation of the new national anti-trafficking strategy and action plan.
The kick-off event brought together the members of the inter-ministerial committee and other representatives from national public and private organisations which are of great importance in the fight against the crime of human trafficking.
Kick-Off Event held on the 6th of December 2022 at the EU House Valletta, Malta
The Technical Expert Group engaged for the preparation of the first National Strategy against Human Trafficking together with the Human Rights Initiatives Unit met with a number of Civil Society Organizations, where they discussed their work in areas of prevention and protection of victims of human trafficking. During this consultation meeting, several realities and types of exploitation that exist for the purposes of work, criminal activities, sexual services, forced marriages, and other forms that lead to human trafficking through technology emerged. It was the first occasion where the non-governmental organizations had the opportunity to discuss how their work in society could contribute more to the identification of victims by the national institutions and how their role can be more effective in combatting human trafficking in Malta.
The Human Rights Initiatives Unit responsible for the first National Strategy Against Human Trafficking, participated in a series of meetings as part of its Joint EU/Council of Europe Project attended by the Chairperson of the Anti-Human Trafficking Inter-Ministerial Committee, the technical experts from the European Council, the Commissioner of Police and specialised Squads, the Attorney General, the CEO of the Court Services Agency and Policy officers from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality, to discuss the legal amendments required for the implementation of the GRETA Recommendations to Malta.