The purpose of this study is to contribute to the identification and understanding of what it means to be ‘taking into account the gender perspective, to strengthen the prevention of this crime and protection of the victims thereof’ as required in the Art 1 of EU Directive 2011/36/EU.

This new EASO country of origin information (COI) report focuses on the modus operandi of the trafficking of Nigerian women to Europe for the purpose of prostitution and the situation of victims returning to Nigeria.

Recent Eurostat figures show that in 2022, 10.093 victims of human trafficking were registered in the European Union. There were 8.064 suspected traffickers and 2.097 convicted traffickers. The statistics also shed light on gender distribution among traffickers and victims, as well as exploitation patterns.

As part of an investigation into acts of trafficking in human beings, 30 brothels in the northern district of Brussels have been placed under judicial seal. 25 people were subject to judicial arrest and 23 others were administratively deprived of their liberty.

The special parliamentary Commission tasked to assess the Belgian legislation and policy on trafficking in and smuggling of human beings adopted today 100 recommendations dealing with various forms of exploitation such as economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, the exploitation of begging, forced criminality, illegal adoption, and forced marriage.

Today, 30 september, an Inter-Ministerial Conference on the application of the International Convention for the suppression of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others, by the EU Member States, has taken place in Brussels, at the eve of it's 65th birthday.