Our policy

Every day, Emmaus International takes in trafficking victims and raises awareness about this dangerous issue. We’re calling for more robust laws to protect victims of contemporary slavery. 

Key issues

• After arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking is the third most widespread form (UN 2013)

• It generates 32 billion Euros a year (UN 2013)

• The European Commission has launched a strategy to eradicate human trafficking (2012 – 2016 EU strategy)

• Every year, around 2.5 million victims – mainly women and children – are recruited and exploited worldwide (France Diplomacy)

• There are different types of exploitation: sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic slavery, and forced begging (France Diplomacy)

Pilot action

Fighting human trafficking in Europe

Emmaus Europe is the movement’s pioneer in this area as it has been committed to it since its creation in 2005.

Member organisations run three activities:

• Awareness-raising: alerting authorities about the legal status of trafficking victims and calling for international agreements to be enforced
• Prevention: to raise awareness and find solutions
• Rehabilitating victims by welcoming them in, no questions asked, and helping them integrate.

Point of view

AFA (women’s organisation, Benin)

AFA supports young trafficking victims. Sold as servants, they’re malnourished and often abused. To fight trafficking, AFA organises preventive action using the media and by sending community liaison workers to supplier villages. Training in children’s rights was given to over 300 people in 2013.

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