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Concerted action on human trafficking

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14478 | 23 January 2018

Signatories:
Mr Vernon COAKER, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Thorhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, Iceland, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Lord Richard BALFE, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Hannah BARDELL, United Kingdom, NR ; Ms Doris BARNETT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Ms Valentina BULIGA, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Ervin BUSHATI, Albania, SOC ; Mr Liam BYRNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Vannino CHITI, Italy, SOC ; Sir Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Tamar CHUGOSHVILI, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania, SOC ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Stella CREASY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Nigel EVANS, United Kingdom, EC ; Lord George FOULKES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Dame Cheryl GILLAN, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Ms Susanna HUOVINEN, Finland, SOC ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Susan Elan JONES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Sofio KATSARAVA, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Colette KELLEHER, Ireland, SOC ; Mr Betian KITEV, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Mr Zviad KVATCHANTIRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Jérôme LAMBERT, France, SOC ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Marian LUPU, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Georgios MAVROTAS, Greece, SOC ; Ms Kerry McCARTHY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Conor McGINN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Víctor NAUDI ZAMORA, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Azadeh ROJHAN GUSTAFSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Lord Simon RUSSELL, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Eduard SHALSI, Albania, SOC ; Mr Virendra SHARMA, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jan ŠKOBERNE, Slovenia, SOC ; Ms Angela SMITH, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Klodiana SPAHIU, Albania, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Lord Don TOUHIG, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Dimitri TSKITISHVILI, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Evangelos VENIZELOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Martin WHITFIELD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Phil WILSON, United Kingdom, SOC

In light of the mounting evidence that the migrant and refugee crisis in Europe is being exploited by gangs and human trafficking networks to target the most vulnerable individuals, the Parliamentary Assembly should examine the already ground breaking Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197) with a view to making possible recommendations to ensure that all member States do more to identify and prosecute traffickers, resulting in convictions. In addition, the Assembly should set out proposals to strengthen legislation to ensure that victims, once encountered, are readily identified and are provided with practical, legal and medical assistance to speed their recovery and reduce risks of further exploitation.

In light of this new and developing situation, the Assembly should consider how best the Council of Europe can ensure that all member States work together at an operational level and through sharing of intelligence, information and data in order to better intercept trafficking networks and ensure that traffickers are less likely to profit from the vulnerabilities of people seeking safety who are caught up in the migrant and refugee crisis.

Furthermore, the Assembly should consider taking further initiatives to support victims and speed their recovery, whilst recognising the pioneering work of the Council of Europe Convention and the essential work of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). It is unlikely that the current migrant and refugee crisis will prove to be a short term issue.

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