Greece marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou said that the phenomenon of human trafficking exists not only because it is objectively hard to quell, but also because it is the product of social inequalities, prejudices and people’s tolerance to it.

The President noted that there should also be zero tolerance for the demand for products and services provided by victims of exploitation and underlined that more policies are needed to promote multiple synergies in public administration, local government, private initiatives and civil society.

The economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic are exacerbating inequalities and creating recessionary conditions, leading to an increase in human trafficking, Sakellaropoulou noted.

The rapid increase in migration and refugee flows brings even more vulnerable people to Greece, making it difficult to distinguish between victims of long-term trafficking and those of short-term smuggling, she added.

Currently there are 27 million modern slaves in the world, yet only a small number of traffickers are prosecuted and convicted and few victims are rescued by authorities. This is the reason, Sakellaropoulou noted, that combating the "culture of no punishment" is a strategic goal of the European Commission.

The President said that Greece's national legal framework for fighting human trafficking is fully harmonised with the relevant international and European conventions and directives. Greece set up the Office of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings (NRO) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and "fully cooperates with all European institutions, international organizations and services that specialise in dealing with the issue," she added.