The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has published its third evaluation report on Sweden, with a thematic focus on human trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies.
The report assesses developments since the publication of GRETA’s second evaluation report in 2018 on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. GRETA welcomes changes made to the legislative and institutional framework for combating human trafficking.
However, GRETA urges Sweden to take further steps to improve the identification of victims of trafficking in human beings, including by ensuring that the formal identification of victims of trafficking is not made conditional on their co-operation in the investigation and criminal proceedings. GRETA stresses that victims who are afraid to talk to the police because of being in an irregular situation and fearing deportation should not be left in limbo with regard to their status and access to support.
GRETA also urges the Swedish authorities to ensure a more effective identification of child victims of trafficking, and to address the disappearance of presumed child victims of trafficking from accommodation centres.
