A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Aruba from 24 to 27 October 2023. This was the first GRETA visit to Aruba, following the 2015 declaration by the Kingdom of the Netherlands that it accepts the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings for Aruba.[1]

Prior to the visit, the Aruban authorities provided a reply to GRETA’s questionnaire for the joint first and second evaluation round.

During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with Ms Jeannette Richardson-Baars, National Co-ordinator on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, as well as with officials from the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Labour, Integration and Energy, the Ministry of Public Health and Tourism, and the Ministry of General Affairs, Innovation, Government, Infrastructure and Planning. Furthermore, meetings were held with representatives of the Aruban Police Force, the Dutch Caribbean Coastguard, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and the Co-ordination Centre on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Aruba. GRETA also met Mr Alex Erades, Chief Prosecutor of Aruba, as well as Ms Floortje van Erp, specialised prosecutor for human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In addition, a meeting was held with the Judicial Affairs Committee of the Aruban Parliament (Staten).

The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Discussions were also held with representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited the emergency shelter of the Aruban Red Cross and a shelter for victims of domestic violence, both of which can accommodate victims of human trafficking.

The visit was carried out by Ms Antoaneta Vassileva, First Vice-President of GRETA, and Ms Dorothea Winkler, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Mr Roemer Lemaître of the Secretariat of the Convention.

Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report to be published in the second half of 2024.