Press Release: Trafficking in human beings: more victims in the EU but Member states are slow to respond

23,632 people were identified or presumed victims of trafficking in the EU over the 2008-2010 period. This is the most striking figure emerging from the first report on trafficking in human beings in Europe, published on 15 April 2013 by the European Commission. The report also highlights that the number of people being trafficked in and to the EU increased by 18% from 2008 to 2010, but less traffickers end up behind bars, since convictions decreased by 13% over the same period.

Despite this worrying background, to date, only 6 out of the 27 EU Member States have fully transposed the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive into their national legislation and three countries have only reported partial transposition of the directive, with the deadline having expired on 6 April 2013.

In order to curb these trends the ambitious legislation and measures to address trafficking in human beings have to be adequately transposed and implemented.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: Combating economic and organised crime: corruption, money laundering, cybercrime, organised crime, trafficking in human beings http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-combating-economic-and-organised-crime-corruption-money-laundering-cybercrime-organised-crime-trafficking-in-human-beings/

ESO: Background Information: EU issues report on human trafficking http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-issues-report-on-human-trafficking/

European Commission: Rapid: MEMO/13/331: Questions & Answers: trafficking in human beings in the EU Statistical annexes: Trafficking in human beings in the EU http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-331_en.htm

European Commission: Rapid: SPEECH/13/319: EU Member States must respond to the increase in human trafficking http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-319_en.htm

EUObserver, 16.04.13: Demand for forced labour increasing in EU http://euobserver.com/social/119800

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