While not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of workers employed in the nail industry has gained increased attention in recent years. Multiple reports point to this sector as being a target of choice for human trafficking and economic exploitation.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: economic exploitation, nail bar
An IOM-Harvard report shows that close to half of the child victims of trafficking were being trafficked for forced labour (mainly boys), in a wide range of industries, such as domestic work, begging and agriculture. Sexual exploitation, including through prostitution, pornography, and sexual servitude, is also prominent, affecting 20 per cent of trafficked children, predominantly girls.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: child trafficking, vulnerability, forced labour, sexual exploitation
Tuesday 30 July is the International Day against Trafficking in Persons. On this occasion, the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor's office, together with the Labour Auditor's Office, invite as many people as possible to be vigilant and to report suspicious situations via the Belgian helpline for victims of human trafficking or via the new telephone number: 078/055.800.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: victim of trafficking, national helpline
On 22 July 2024, the Minister of Justice officially launched the Blue Heart Campaign at the Antwerp city hall. EMN Belgium joined local authorities, the three specialised centres for victims of human trafficking, Myria, the Social Intelligence and Investigation Service and the IOM on this occasion. As one in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child, this year's global campaign urges accelerated action to end child trafficking.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: blue heart campaign, child victim of trafficking, victims of human trafficking
On 14 July 2024, the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive enters into force with stronger rules to fight trafficking in human beings. The revised Directive introduces stricter criminalisation and provides stronger tools for public authorities to investigate and prosecute new forms of exploitation, including those that take place online, and ensure better assistance and support to victims.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: Anti-Trafficking Directive
From 20 to 27 April 2024, Belgium participated, with 30 other countries, in the EMPACT Joint Action Days targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation purposes. The action resulted inter alia in 160 perpetrators and 334 potential victims identified and led to the arrest of 51 persons.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: joint action day, labour exploitation
On 27 May 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted a directive that inter alia adds new forms of exploitation and considers knowingly using the service provided by a trafficking victim as a criminal offense. It also strengthens prevention measures as well as the support for and assistance to victims.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: Anti-Trafficking Directive
On 23 April 2024, the European Parliament voted in favor of an amended Directive concerning trafficking in human beings. The new text broadens the EU’s actions against human trafficking beyond labour and sexual exploitation, and also criminalises new forms of exploitation like forced marriage, illicit adoption, and the exploitation of surrogacy at the EU level.
A large-scale operation involving law enforcement and judicial authorities from Belgium, France and Germany, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, led to the dismantling of one of the most active networks involved in the smuggling of migrants across the English Channel in small boats.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: migrant smuggling, English channel, Europol, Eurojust, joint action day
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.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking, victims of human trafficking, gender, sexual exploitation, forced labour, Eurostat
Today the Belgian presidency of the Council and representatives of the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the revision of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive from 2011. The updated rules were called to better respond to developments in the forms and means of trafficking in human beings and to combat this crime more effectively.
At a conference today, the European Commission proposed new legislation to prevent and fight migrant smuggling and also launched a call to action for a Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: migrant smuggling, criminal network, Europol
For the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the European Commission is launching an awareness-raising campaign to inform citizens on the reality of this crime. The European Commission invites every citizen to help raise awareness by becoming part of the ‘End human trafficking. Break the invisible chain’ campaign.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: anti-trafficking day, awareness campaign
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.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: sexual exploitation, human trafficking
Today, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Vincent Van Quickenborne, officially launched the campaign in Liège. On this occasion, he inaugurated the new telephone number - 078 055 800 - of the Belgian helpline for victims of human trafficking.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: blue heart campaign, victim of trafficking
With this awareness campaign entitled "Working together in the fight against human smuggling – Help save lives!", the Police want to encourage both nautical equipment dealers and citizens to report suspicious purchases or movements on the beach to the police via 112, via the 112 app or directly via the 101.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human smuggling, awareness campaign, nautical equipment
Today, in the Committee on Justice of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced that Mr. Klaus Vanhoutte, former director of Payoke and one of the experts of the Special Committee on Trafficking in Human Beings and People Smuggling, had been recruited and appointed as national coordinator for the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
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.
During a press conference at the maritime police in Ostend, the Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said that the strong approach towards human smugglers has led to a 90% drop in transit migrants to the UK.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: transit migrants, transit migration
The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022 was published today. It shows inter alia that climate change increases vulnerability to trafficking and that armed conflicts are another breeding ground for trafficking.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking
The Conference allowed participants to gain insight into legal provisions against labour exploitation and to examine the role of different actors in upholding the rights of foreign workers. Good practices and lessons learnt from selected countries were presented and discussed.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: forced labour, labour exploitation
Today the English translation of the latest report on Human Trafficking and Smuggling from Myria was published. The 2018 report focuses on underage victims of trafficking and smuggling of human beings.
Main Theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
On 12 December 2018, the Belgian contact point of the EMN organized its annual asylum and migration policy event in which recent national and EU developments in the field of international protection, legal migration and integration and irregular migration, human trafficking and return were discussed.
Main Theme: Integration, Reception, International Protection, Return & Readmission, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: annual EMN policy event
Europol launched a new report about child trafficking. It provides a comprehensive view on who the victims are and who the criminal networks are that trafficking the children in and into the EU.
Main Theme: Vulnerable groups, Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: child victim of trafficking
On the 31st of May and 1st of June, the Bulgarian Contact Point of the EMN - in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council - organized the EMN Annual Conference. The conference was dedicated to challenges and success factors in managing migration flows.
