Minister Shatter welcomes publication by European Commission of Information
Booklet on ‘The EU Rights of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings’.
The information booklet ‘The EU rights of victims of trafficking in human
beings’ published today (15 April) by the European Commission provides an
overview of the rights and supports, derived from EU law, that are
available to victims of human trafficking. These rights range from
emergency assistance and health care to labour rights, access to justice
and the possibility of compensation.
This document is addressed to victims and practitioners and seeks to
provide a clear explanation of the rights of victims of trafficking in
human beings that are derived from EU legislation. For victims to be able
to exercise their rights they must first be informed of them. For the first
time it brings together in a single document an explanation of all the
rights of victims of trafficking in human beings with reference to the
actual EU legislation.
This document also represents an important resource for national
authorities in Member States. It provides an excellent foundation and
template for the development of similar information booklets that would
outline how victims of trafficking in human beings can access their rights
in each Member State. The Minister will publish a user-friendly booklet
that will outline how victims can access their rights in this country by
the end of 2013.
Welcoming the publication, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr.
Alan Shatter T.D. said:
“Human trafficking is an appalling crime and a gross violation of human
rights. It can have potentially devastating affects on its victims.
Efforts at both international and national level have been ongoing for many
years to combat this appalling crime and support it victims. Access to
clear and user-friendly information about the rights and supports available
to victims is vitally important. For victims to exercise their rights they
must first be made aware of them. This document provides a much needed
overview of those rights and will be a valuable resource for victims,
practitioners and Member States.
My Department will build on this important document by developing a
user-friendly booklet outlining how victims can exercise their rights in
this country by the end of 2013. ”
The Irish Presidency of the European Council is currently working with all
Member States to ensure that this document is most effectively utilised to
strengthen the support of victims of trafficking in human beings. It is
hoped that agreement on an effective approach can be reached at the Justice
and Home Affairs Council, chaired by Minister Shatter, in June.
Minister Shatter said
“All Member States recognise the need to identify, support and protect men,
women and children who have been trafficked. The provision of information
on rights is, of course, just one element of the fight against trafficking
and the support of its victims, but it is a vitally important element. The
Irish Presidency is working with Member States to develop an approach that
will ensure that this document is used most effectively to support
victims.”
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, who launched the
document today (15 April) in Brussels said:
"Minister Shatter has demonstrated a deep concern in relation to the issue
of trafficking in human beings and has supported the Commission's work,
including in developing this document. It is crucial that victims are
informed about their rights. This overview will help authorities in EU
Member States to deliver the assistance and protection that victims need
and deserve. This is the result of two EU institutions complementing each
other’s work, and I welcome the strong efforts of the Irish Presidency."
15 April, 2013
ENDS
Note for Editors:
The publication of this document is provided for in the EU Strategy towards
the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings (2012-2016). The Strategy
is a set of concrete and practical measures to be implemented over the next
five years that will support and complement the implementation of EU
legislation on Trafficking in Human Beings.
Action 4 of that Strategy concerns the Provision of Information on the
Rights of Victims. It states that ‘Correspondence to the Commission over
the years illustrates the problems individuals face in contacting the
appropriate authorities or organisations in order to receive clear
information on their rights to assistance and health care, their right to a
residence permit and their labour rights, their rights regarding access to
justice and to a lawyer, and on the possibilities of claiming
compensation’. Therefore, ‘to inform victims of their rights and help them
effectively exercise them, in 2013 the Commission will provide clear,
user-friendly information on the labour, social, victim and migrant rights
that victims of trafficking in human beings have under EU law. As a
follow-up, the Commission will help Member States provide and disseminate
similar information at national level in 2014’.
This document does not provide for the establishment of any new rights
under EU law. Its purpose is to ensure that the rights of victims that
already exist are set out clearly and, insofar as possible, in simple
language that could be understood by a victim. It also provides for the
first time in a single document all of the relevant EU legislation with an
overview in simple language.
A copy of the Document, ‘The EU Rights of Victims of Trafficking in Human
Beings’, is available on the EU Commission’s website at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/docs/thb_victims_rights/thb_victims_rights_en.pdf