On 29 March, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) issued a statement concerning the United Kingdom’s Illegal Migration Bill, calling on the authorities to uphold their international obligations in combating human trafficking by reconsidering the relevant provisions of the Bill.

GRETA stressed that the new legislation would constitute a significant step backwards in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery in the United Kingdom, and risk undoing many of the country’s significant achievements in this area, by making it harder to identify victims, prosecute traffickers and combat human trafficking.

In its second report on Greece, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) acknowledged positive steps taken by the Greek authorities to combat human trafficking, but also expressed concern over reports of pushbacks and forced removals of migrants and asylum seekers at the land and sea border with Türkiye and called on the Greek authorities to ensure that individualised risk assessment is conducted prior to any forced removals and that it assesses the risks of trafficking or re-trafficking on return.

In its third-round evaluation report published today, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) commended the setting up of a National Unit for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants and the increase in the number of convictions compared to the previous evaluation period, but noted that in most cases the sentences were well below the statutory minimum.