Despite the progress made in recent years, human trafficking remains a very important problem for the European Union and a very visible threat.

According to data from the European Commission, between 2017 and 2018, more than 14,000 victims of trafficking were registered in the EU, and the actual number is estimated to be significantly higher as many incidents go undetected.

In order to improve the identification of incidents that remain hidden until now, the AMELIE program is being implemented ((enhAncing Mechanisms of idEntification, protection and muLti-agency collaboratIon through transnational and multi-sectoral actors’ Engagement), a European initiative that aims to improve the human trafficking response system by improving the ability of health care providers and frontline health professionals to identify, safely refer and provide gender and trauma sensitive services to victims of human trafficking, with a focus on adults women.

“Communication with the potential victim requires care and patience, while ensuring that they return to be examined or continue their treatment is paramount“, the manager of the AMELIE program, Natasha Alexopoulou, tells APE-MPE.

The violence experienced by victims of trafficking has serious effects on their physical and psychological health, affecting the health system as well.

However, to date the involvement of health professionals in the dialogue and response to the problem of human trafficking internationally is limited, with the health care needs of victims not having received due attention, the European Commission also admits.

“A health professional may suspect that the person who has come to the hospital is a victim of trafficking by a combination of signs, physical, psychological or behavioral, such as for example signs of neglect or violence, signs of physical exhaustion, malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, ignorance as to the place where they live, gaps in the information they provide and evasions in providing information or by the presence of a person who refuses to let them be examined on their own”, says the manager of the program, Natasa Alexopoulou, to APE-MPE and adds : “The response of the health personnel depends on the case and always with the safety of the person in mind as well as their own. Human trafficking is a complex crime, on the one hand to detect, on the other hand to be able to help the victim, who may deny the situation, be afraid to give information or react to any approach. This is even more true when talking about people from other countries, because of the different language and culture that magnifies the distance and mistrust».

But what can the health professional do?

First of all, “communication with the potential victim requires care and patience, while the priority is to ensure that he will return to be examined or continue his treatment. The time to prepare the response on the part of the professional and the cultivation of trust is of key importance”, says Ms. Alexopoulou and goes on to say that: “When there are signs of trafficking, the health professional can, in collaboration with staff from the social service ( psychologist, social worker), to seek communication with the competent bodies such as the National Reference Mechanism of the National Center for Social Solidarity and the NGO A21 (phone numbers 197, 1109 ) and ask for guidance.

The problem in numbers

The majority of victims are women and girls (72%), while in most cases the purpose of trafficking is sexual exploitation (60%). Almost half of the victims of human trafficking within the European Union are EU nationals. and a significant number of these victims are trafficked within its member state. The majority of traffickers in the EU are European citizens and almost three quarters of the perpetrators are men. This crime brings high profits to criminals and entails enormous human, social and economic costs. According to figures from the European Commission in the EU, the economic cost is estimated at €2.7 billion for a single year.

The strategy of the European Union

The fight against human trafficking has been a priority of the European Union for years. Over the years, progress has been made in many ways. Cooperation between key actors, including at the political level, between law enforcement and judicial authorities, both nationally and transnationally, has led to prosecutions and convictions, as well as improved detection and assistance, and support for victims. On 14 April 2021 the EU adopted a new strategy to combat human trafficking with a 2025 completion horizon.

The project AMELIE

Five organizations from Belgium, Greece, Germany and Italy joined forces to implement the program, with the aim of empowering survivors of human trafficking and improving their access to health care services, improving the skills of professionals working with survivors of human trafficking and improving detection and identification mechanisms by establishing better collaboration between anti-trafficking agencies and health care systems.

More specifically, it aims to strengthen the skills of more than 200 health professionals through targeted learning tools and skill development activities, but also to support the empowerment of 180 survivors of human trafficking and their access to psychosocial and specialized medical assistance, including practices and counseling services , referral, prevention and self-care based on the needs and wishes of the victims. In addition, it will improve cross-sectoral cooperation between key parties active in the fight against human trafficking to strengthen national and transnational referral mechanisms.

The AMELIE project is implemented by KMOP – Center for Social Action and Innovation (Greece, coordinating organization) and the organizations SOLWODI (Germany), PAYOKE (Belgium), Differenza Donna and APG23 (Italy) and is financially supported by the AMIF program (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) of the European Union.