Digital tools and capacity building to challenges new forms of human trafficking.
Context
ASIT reacts to the growing concerns about the new forms of trafficking in human beings (THB) and related child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the EU in the framework of the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings. In a socio-political moment with unprecedented movement of people forced to flee due to armed conflict such as the Ukraine war, the project aims to contribute to the identification of gaps, sources and mechanisms of THB in terms of networks, profile of potential victims and digital instruments. ASIT will engage Law Enforcement Agencies, judges, NGOs and other first-line respondents to counteract and recognise THB’s evolving forms, including through online means, which affect groups such as a women, children and/or men living in vulnerable conditions.
Objectives
- To build the capacity of Law Enforcement Agencies on multi-evidence source investigation of THB;
- To raise awareness of the risks and models of THB and its related forms of exploitation;
- To foster multi-agency partnerships through networking, exchange of information and joint support investigation operations at the national and international levels;
- To develop and/or improve the digital tools and instruments to map the online channels used by perpetrators;
- To provide methodologies and protocols to enhance victims’ support and reduce the risk of re-victimisation.
Activities
- Establishment of a stakeholders’ community through stakeholder mapping;
- Organization of civic engagement events, roundtables and policy briefings;
- Operational information exchange visits between Law Enforcement Agencies to prepare joint investigation actions;
- Consultation events with national actors and stakeholders to promote public-private cooperation models and knowledge sharing;
- Defining models of collecting and exchanging structured data;
- Elaboration of an online training focused on evolving trends, recent historical data and behavioural, social, and economic factors triggering THB;
- Implementation of training, on-the-job mentoring and twinning opportunities for staff and experts from competent authorities on methodologies for detection, investigation and prosecution in the area of human trafficking, including financial investigations and document fraud on methodologies for detection, investigation and prosecution in the area of smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings.
Resources
- Community Engagement Strategy;
- Guide for networking in investigation of THB;
- Blueprint guide for data exchange in anti-THB;
- Educational materials;
- ICT Toolbox on how to use digital open sources for support of the investigation;
- Scenario-based pipeline.
Impact
- Increased knowledge and awareness on the phenomenon of THB and its online risks for potential victims through a victim, child and gender-sensitive approach.
- Established public-private partnerships between relevant actors at all levels to exchange practices and guidelines on cooperation agreements for investigation, prosecution and victims’ protection and support.
- Produced a uniformed framework for mapping and investigating perpetrators including knowledge on ICT tools to contrast THB.
- Strengthened the prevention activities, improved prognostics and destroyed THB models in the very beginning of their existence due to accumulated and shared knowledge and partnership approach.
Partners
- MoISR – Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Coordinator, Slovak Republic)
- AMoIBG – Academy of the Ministry of Interior Bulgaria (Bulgaria)
- INT – Departament d’Interior – Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain)
- HP – Hellenic Police (Greece)
- CESIE (Italy)
- KEMEA – Center for Security Studies (Greece)
- KWP -Komenda Wojewodzka Policji W Krakowie (Poland)
