Liz Lynne tackles European Commission on human trafficking ahead of World Cup

6.38.03pm GMT Mon 13th Mar 2006

Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP and member of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, today called for the EU to show the red card to human trafficking ahead of the World Cup.

Advocacy groups predict that in addition to prostitutes working legally in Germany, thousands of women and girls will be trafficked into the country and forced into prostitution against their will as a result of increased demand from visitors to the event.

Speaking in today's debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Liz Lynne called for the EU to back the 'Red card to forced prostitution' campaign, which calls for cross-border cooperation and exchanges of best practice. She also called for EU member states to sign up to the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking, which will provide support for the

victims of trafficking.

"We're not talking about prostitution, where the prostitute knows what they are doing. We're talking about a modern slave trade where women and children have no choice whether they work as prostitutes or not."

"At the moment, these women have no guaranteed protection. They are treated as illegal immigrants and deported and in many cases are re-trafficked again."

"There are actions that can be taken. We need safe havens so that young women and girls can be protected. We need at least the 30 day breathing period that the European Convention calls for so that these women can decide if they will take part in the prosecution of the traffickers."

"In the UK there is only one safe haven, with 25 places. It is estimated that over 1,000 people per year are trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation."

"With the run up to the World Cup in Germany we need to do more, much more, to make people aware. I welcome the campaign to give the red card to forced prostitution. I hope all the fans, footballers and sports associations, together with all other organisations, will get behind it to stamp out this evil trade."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Liz Lynne today tabled the following oral question to the European Commission:

The fight against trafficking in human beings is rightly one of the EU's priorities and a series of measures have been taken in order to fight against this scourge. Council Directive 2004/81/EC(1) on residence permits for victims of trafficking and Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA(2) on combating trafficking in human beings are two of the main instruments, together with the Daphne programme and measures to combat illegal immigration and organised crime.

• Can the Commission outline which Member States have already complied with Council Directive 2004/81/EC on residence permits for victims of trafficking, and how (period of validity of the permit, conditions to be met in order to obtain it, etc.)?

• Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA on combating trafficking in human beings instructs the Member States to implement the act before 1 August 2004 and the Council to draw up an assessment report on Member States' measures before 1 August 2005 on the basis of a written report by the Commission. Did the Commission produce this report? If not, why not? Which Member States complied, and how? Which did not, and why not?

• Will the EU take action to ensure that the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings and the UN Convention on the same issue are ratified by all Member States?

• In its recently adopted report on trafficking in human beings the EP proposed the establishment of an anti-trafficking day in order to raise awareness of the issue, as well as the introduction of free telephone helplines. Would the Commission be prepared to launch these initiatives this year?

• The EP also called for data to be compiled on trafficking in human beings. What initiatives will the Commission take in this field? Would it be prepared to present a proposal for a regulation on Community statistics on trafficking in human beings, as it has done on migration and international protection, or to broaden the scope of the latter initiative to cover trafficking as well?

• How does the Commission intend to ensure that Eurojust and Europol are more actively involved in the fight against trafficking in human beings and to improve policing at national level?

2. Of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, 21 have still to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking, including the UK and France.