LSI Statement on the European Parliament Resolution on Trafficking
- Document number
- 1306
- Date
- 2006
- Title
- LSI Statement on the European Parliament Resolution on Trafficking
- Author/publisher
- La Strada International
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- LSI publication,
- Summary
- In January 2006, the European Parliament unanimously adopted the own-initiative report Strategies to prevent trafficking in women and children who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, drafted by Christa Prets, member from the Socialist Group in the European Parliament. By adopting this report, the Members of European Parliament urge the EU Member States to put more effort into combating trafficking and to grant more rights to trafficked persons. Christa Prets recommends all Member States adopt policies current in force in Italy and Belgium that lay down that trafficked persons can be granted a right of residence after the traffickers have been tried. The report also puts emphasis on the demand side and the roots causes of trafficking. A remarkable plea was made to regard legal migration channels as a mechanism to prevent trafficking. Although La Strada International does not fully agree with all the points of view reflected in the resolution, we are pleased that again a European Union body takes trafficking seriously and acknowledges the importance of a human rights based approach. As the resolution was first drafted by FEMM, the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities in the European Parliament, the resolution focuses on women and children, trafficking for the sex industry. In our opinion it is a pity that, when the international debate on trafficking is broadened to all forms of forced labour and slavery like practices, the resolution still focuses only on trafficking for prostitution. This leaves women trafficked for domestic work, sweatshops and other forms of exploitative labour once again empty-handed.
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