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European Anti-Trafficking Program

Cross-border collaboration is essential to closing trafficking corridors in Europe.

Over 2 million people are enslaved in Europe. As people are trafficked through multiple European countries, the legalities of their case become increasingly complicated. There is no singular investigative or prosecutorial entity responsible for identifying and restoring survivors of trafficking, which makes it difficult for survivors to receive justice for the crimes they experienced. A survivor may return to their country, but their traffickers often continue operating with impunity in other countries. Cross-border collaboration through the Euopean Anti-Trafficking Program will address these shortcomings.

A strengthened continuum of care

Integrated strategy throughout Europe is essential for survivor support.

A disjointed system also risks survivors’ wellbeing. As survivors are identified and repatriated, they often must share their experiences to several parties, heightening the risk for re-traumatization. There is a stark need for a smooth continuum of care, from relief to restoration, regardless of where a survivor is from and where they have been trafficked to. The European Anti-Trafficking Program is working to address these gaps by connecting institutions to one another and building cross-border collaboration.

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Integrated Strategies to End Cross-Border Trafficking

How Will the EATP Bring Freedom and Protection in Europe?

INCREASING CROSS-BORDER COLLABORATION

  • The nature of human trafficking in Europe is highly transnational—often, victims from Eastern Europe are enticed and exploited in Western Europe. IJM is facilitating critical communication between law enforcement and investigators from different European countries to effectively identify and prosecute human trafficking cases across borders.

BUILDING TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES IN COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

  • A lack of trauma-informed care can hinder survivors' holistic restoration and create concerns of re-traumatization for victims who have not yet reported their experiences. The European Anti-Trafficking Program deploys experts and survivor leaders to institutionalize trauma-informed care across entities. Survivors will then receive the deep, personal care they deserve in every facet of the justice system.

DEVELOPING A CONTINUUM OF CARE, FROM RESCUE TO RESTORATION

  • With a fragmented response system from country to country in cross-border cases, survivors are often repatriated with little or no referrals to psychocsocial support. IJM is identifying partners and training officials in multiple countries to create a holistic network of care—regardless of what country survivors are coming from or returning to.