In its new report published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking expert group (GRETA) note improvements in legislation and practices to combat human trafficking in Slovenia since the publication of the first report in January 2014, and said that more should be done to help victims.
The legal framework and procedures in Slovenia have been further developed in accordance with GRETA’s recommendations: the use of services provided by a victim of trafficking in human beings has been criminalized; victims of trafficking with temporary residence permits have been granted access to the labour market; the crisis accommodation programme for victims has been extended from five to 30 days.
GRETA calls on the authorities to ensure that access to assistance for victims is not made conditional on their co-operation in the investigation, to pay increased attention to detecting victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and foreign workers, and to adopt measures to facilitate and guarantee access to compensation for victims of trafficking.
According to the report, Slovenia is primarily a country of destination and transit of victims of trafficking in human beings rather than a country of origin. In 2013-2016, the number of identified victims of human trafficking for different purposes (sexual exploitation, forced labour, exploitation of begging) in Slovenia was 119. In 2013-2016, trafficking charges were brought against 52 persons, and a total of 10 persons were convicted of human trafficking offences.
