Combatting Human Trafficking

Trafficking in human beings represents a grave violation of human rights and human dignity. It is a global problem that can only be tackled at the global level and in an international context. According to figures provided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 2.4 million people fall victim to human trafficking . Human trafficking is increasingly developing into a high-profit crime. According to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), criminal networks generate revenues of 32 billion dollars per year with the “human being as a commodity”. After illegal drug trafficking and arms trading, trafficking in human beings ranks third in terms of illicit profit. Women and children are particularly affected by human trafficking.

In general, victims of human trafficking come from less affluent EU or third countries. At home they are often confronted with dysfunctional families and domestic violence; other factors that contribute to making them vulnerable to human trafficking are a low level of formal education, unemployment and the quest for a presumably “better life”.

Because of its geographical location at the centre of Europe, Austria is affected by human trafficking both as a transit and destination country. According to estimates, the most frequent phenomena of human trafficking in Austria include human trafficking for sexual exploitation, slave-like situations of domestic servants and child trafficking.

In order to coordinate and intensify anti-trafficking measures in Austria, the Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking under the direction of the Foreign Ministry was set up in November 2004 by a decision of the Austrian government. The Task Force is in charge of elaborating National Action Plans on Combating Human Trafficking and of monitoring their implementation. The first National Action Plan on Combating Human Trafficking was adopted in March 2007, the second National Action Plan (2009-2011) was adopted in May 2009 and the third National Action Plan was adopted on 20 March 2012 by the Austrian government. The National Actions Plans reflect a comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking and include measures for national coordination, prevention, protection of victims, prosecution and international cooperation.

The Austrian government appointed the Austrian Diplomat Director General Ambassador Dr. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger as the first National Coordinator on Combating Human Trafficking on 10 March 2009. Ambassador Tichy-Fisslberger is also the chair of the Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking.

The Task Force regularly prepares reports on the implementation of Austria’s measures against trafficking in human beings. The First Austrian Report on Combating Human Trafficking was adopted on 10 March 2009 and the Second Austrian Report on Combating Human Trafficking was adopted on 20 March 2012. In addition to these three-year reports, annual implementation reports are available (in German only).

Each year the Austrian government organizes public events on the occasion of the EU-Anti-Trafficking Day (18 October). The next event will take place on 20 October 2014 at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. The Austrian Task Force developed an exhibition for schools "Human Trafficking - Slavery of the 21 century" which is also presented at public events.

The importance of global and international cooperation in combating human trafficking cannot be stressed enough. The United Nations, in particular the Vienna-based Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the OSCE, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Council of Europe and the European Union make important contributions in this respect. Austria supports these organizations in their efforts to combat human trafficking.

In 2010/2011, Austria was one of the first states to have its anti-trafficking action evaluated by the Council of Europe expert group GRETA. The overall assessment was positive.

A large number of Austria’s activities aim at improving the situation in the countries of origin. In this context Eastern Europe is one of the priority regions of the efforts launched under the Austrian Development Cooperation/Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The Foreign Ministry as the chair of the Austrian Task Force Against Human Trafficking is also proactively engaged in sensitizing and raising awareness of staff posted at Austrian representations abroad in order to contribute to combating this crime already in the country of origin.

Austria is a signatory to all relevant international legal instruments to combat human trafficking including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime; the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

In December 2009 the European Council endorsed the Stockholm Programme for the period 2010-2014 which shall contribute to an intensified cooperation between the EU Member States in the field of Justice and Home Affairs. The fight against trafficking in human beings is a high priority issue in the Stockholm programme. In 2011, the EU adopted Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. Austria has transposed this directive into national law. The EU is also implementing a Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016.

Child Trafficking

According to estimations by the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 1.2 million children are victims of trafficking in children worldwide.

Austria is affected by child trafficking both as a transit and a destination country. Because of its clandestine nature it is very difficult to give exact figures on the actual scope of child trafficking. Moreover, it is sometimes impossible to differentiate clearly between unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) and/or unaccompanied alien minors, minors who entered a country illegally (with human smugglers) and victims of child trafficking.

Poverty is considered the major root cause of trafficking in children. Children are particularly at risk of being sold or exploited when the level of formal education is low, and violence or addictive behaviour in the family add to a lack of perspectives offered by the social environment.

In order to give more detailed consideration to the complex topic of child trafficking, the Task Force on Human Trafficking established a separate working group on child trafficking. This working group already prepared two reports: first report on child trafficking (2007-2009) and a second report on child trafficking (2009-2011) as well as an information folder on child trafficking in Austria. An EU-wide hotline for missing children (116000) has also been established.

Prostitution

The Task Force on Human Trafficking holds the view that it is necessary to differentiate clearly between the needs of persons who voluntarily offer sexual services for monetary reward and those who are victims of human trafficking. Thus it is necessary to have a concept for dealing with voluntary prostitution, as this is indispensable in drawing the dividing line between voluntary prostitution and human trafficking as well as other forms of sexual exploitation and violence.

To this end, the Task Force on Human Trafficking set up an interdisciplinary group of experts in May 2007. This Working Group on Prostitution, which is chaired by the Federal Ministry for Education and Women’s Affairs, is composed of experts from the competent ministries, from the federal provinces as well as non-governmental organisations active in this field and experts from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the Austrian Chamber of Labour.

Trafficking of the Purpose of Labor Exploitation

According to the third National Action Plan 2012-2014 a working group of the Task Force focusing on labor exploitation has been established, chaired by the Federal Ministry for Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection.

Conference "Human Trafficking in Conflict and Crises Situations", 20 October 2017

Organised by the Austrian Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking in cooperation with the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the occasion of the EU Anti-Trafficking-Day.

The Austrian Task Force was established in 2004 as national coordination mechanism to combat human trafficking by preparing National Action Plans with concrete objectives and by monitoring their implementation.

The Conference brings together international experts and frontline officers with comprehensive experience from the field. It is open to the public and free of charge. Simultaneous interpretation English/German/Russian will be provided.

The agenda will include the following panels and workshops:

Panel I: Human Trafficking, Conflicts and Emergencies: Lessons from the Field
Panel II: A gender perspective on human trafficking in the context of forced migration
WS I: Human Trafficking and Exploitation: Where do you draw the line? Practical cases in Austria and Libya
WS II: Child protection in the context of conflict and crisis situations
WS III: Access to rights: Preventing human trafficking and violence against women
WS IV: Trafficked men: Visibility of male victims and challenges in victim protection