Legislation and Practice Gaps Report - Trafficked en Route
- Document number
- 3680
- Date
- 07/10/2026
- Title
- Legislation and Practice Gaps Report - Trafficked en Route
- Author/publisher
- La Strada International and Trafficked en Route consortium
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Keywords
- Third Country Nationals; Human Trafficking; Labour Exploitation; Recruitment agencies; Trafficked en Route
- Summary
The Trafficked En Route – Legislation and Practice Gaps Report examines severe forms of labour exploitation affecting third-country nationals (TCNs) travelling along migration routes within and towards Europe. Conducted as part of a two-year EU-funded project, also named Trafficked En Route, the report focuses on Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain - countries of transit and destination for migrant workers.
The project aims to better understand how migrant workers become vulnerable to exploitation, strengthen early identification of victims, improve access to protection and support, and identify legal and policy gaps that allow exploitation to persist. Labour exploitation remains significantly underreported and difficult to detect, particularly among TCNs. Migrants travelling to Europe often face vulnerabilities linked to limited language skills, restricted legal migration opportunities, dependence on employers or recruitment agencies, and insecure residence status.