Trans-frontier campaign ” “

The “holy alliance” of the European institutions against the trafficking of human beings for purposes of sexual exploitation or cheap manpower is beginning a renewed offensive from Strasbourg. The European Parliament in fact approved a report on Tuesday 17 January that asks that steps be taken to coordinate and “integrate throughout the Community European strategies to prevent the trafficking of human beings”, which often fuels prostitution. The document, signed by the Austrian MEP CHRISTA PRETS , indicates numerous strategies to curb this modern form of slavery. During the debate in the EP she also insisted on the “need to unite all the forces, national and continental, against one of the “worst scourges” of our time. AN INTEGRATED APPROACH. The work of Christa Prets and the European Parliament was prompted by a Communication of the Commission, issued last October, which posed the objective of “further reinforcing the commitment of the EU and member states to the prevention of and campaign against the trafficking of human beings”. The Communication was in conformity with the framework decision of 2002 on “Strategies to prevent the trafficking of human beings and promote the protection, assistance and rehabilitation of its victims”. The Executive, under the leadership of José Manuel Barroso, had enunciated in this document the principle according to which, to effectively combat the trafficking of human beings, “an integrated approach, founded on respect for human rights” and taking due account “of the global nature of the phenomenon”, was necessary. Such an approach requires “a coordinated political response, especially in the fields of liberty, security and justice, external relations, cooperation in development, employment, equality between the sexes and non-discrimination”. The Commission’s intervention represented in turn a response to the programme of The Hague, adopted by the Council of heads of state and government of the 25 in November 2004. The European Parliament now urges – with ample references to international law – the EU member states “to adopt, in their own penal codes, identical legislative provisions that contain a clear legal definition of the trafficking of children, based on internationally recognised norms that are included in the Protocol of Palermo and in the UN Convention on the rights of childhood”. 800,000 VICTIMS EVERY YEAR. The EP report insists on the need to “reinforce penal and repressive actions against the traffickers” and, in combating prostitution, asks for penal measures against “conscious customers”. The Parliament underlines the need for a joint commitment of the EU institutions, a new policy of visas and “coordination with actions in the field of legal and clandestine immigration”. In addition, the MEPs underline the need “to crack down on the use of the Internet for illicit ends”, promote “awareness-raising campaigns” and take appropriate measures against forms of “sex tourism” during the world football championships in Germany in 2006. Christa Prets explained to her fellow-MEPs meeting in the plenary session in Strasbourg that “of the 600/800,000 victims each year of the international trafficking of human beings, approximately 80% are women and girls and up to 50% are minors”, destined “for sexual exploitation”. The report calls for other concrete measures: preparing “a clear legal basis for the campaign against any form of violence” against women and children; continuing studies on the causes that lie at the basis of forced deportations; discouraging the demand “also through measures of an educational, legal, social and cultural character”; creating telephone hotlines for emergency aid to the victims; and introducing “a European protest day”, which “could coincide with the world campaign Stop the Traffic”, fixed for 25 March. INTERNET, MAXIMUM ALERT. The Parliament then drew attention to “the link between sexual exploitation and exploitation of labour in the field of the supply of domestic services”: a focus of attention justified by the growing employment of foreign girls, especially from Eastern Europe, in the countries of Western Europe, whether as domestic cleaners or as carers for invalids and the elderly living alone. The document passed by the EP further urges member states “to apply the law and reinforce penal actions against traffickers and their accomplices”. It also asks for “repressive measures against the authors of internet pages that publish advertisements of middlemen of the trade and those who seek to obtain sexual services from minors, the definition of whom needs to be made homogeneous in all member states, i.e. persons under the age of 18”. It is equally indispensable to pursue the recycling of the proceeds of the trade and “bring penal charges against customers who consciously make use of the services of women forced into prostitution”. The document lastly remarks that “the right of residence for the victims of trafficking after the traffickers have been tried exists only in Italy and Belgium”. To encourage these victims “to give statements and help secure the conviction of offenders”, it would therefore be useful to grant residence permits to them in all member states.