Council of Europe: GRETA urges Italy to better protect unaccompanied children
The Council of Europe Group of experts against human trafficking (GRETA) has published on 30th January a report on the implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by Italy. The report assesses the specific situation of forced returns of victims of trafficking from Italy and the identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and migrants.
GRETA acknowledges the extreme difficulties which Italy is experiencing due to the unprecedented increase in the arrival of migrants and refugees, and the significant efforts made by the country, with the assistance of international organisations and civil society, to cope with the challenges posed by it.
The report, which was preceded by a visit to Italy in September 2016, reveals gaps in the detection of victims of trafficking among newly arriving migrants and unaccompanied children. Particular attention is paid to the situation of Nigerian women and girls, who have been arriving in Italy in increasing numbers and many of whom are likely to be trafficked for the purpose of exploitation in Europe. GRETA raises concerns about the failure to identify them as victims of trafficking at an early stage, the disappearance of unaccompanied children from reception centres, and the manner in which forced returns of victims of trafficking to their country of origin take place.
GRETA also urges Italy to mainstream prevention of trafficking in the training of all staff working with unaccompanied and separated children. Efforts to identify child victims of trafficking must be increased together with setting-up child-specific identification procedures which involve child specialists and take into account the special circumstances and needs of child victims of trafficking.
Further, GRETA considers that voluntary returns of victims of trafficking are to be preferred to ensure the rights, safety and dignity of the victim and encourages Italy to use forced returns as a measure of last resort only. And finally, GRETA considers that Italy should further develop international partnerships with a view to combating and dismantling criminal networks involved in trafficking and prosecuting offenders.