In a statement issued on 30 July 2026, GRETA and ICAT highlighted trafficking for forced criminality as an increasingly prevalent form of exploitation. According to the "Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024", it is the third most commonly detected form of trafficking globally. Scam operations are currently the most extensively documented form, with victims recruited through fraudulent job offers and forced to commit offences such as online fraud under threats or other forms of coercion. The phenomenon also extends to other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, theft and financial crime, while children, women and girls, refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons and migrants may face heightened risks.

GRETA stressed the importance of the non-punishment principle, enshrined in the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, under which victims should not be punished for unlawful acts they were compelled to commit as a direct consequence of their trafficking. GRETA also welcomed a United Nations resolution adopted in June 2026 on trafficking for forced criminality. ICAT called on States to strengthen prevention, victim identification, protection and assistance, including through legal guarantees of the non-punishment principle, while ensuring that criminal justice responses focus on those who organise, finance and profit from trafficking.

For further details, please see the press release issued by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).