Organization of American States
Human Trafficking from Latin
America to Western Europe:
A Plan for Cooperation
Friday, July 15, 2005
ARGO Programme
European Commission
Directorate-General Justice, Freedom and Security
The Concept
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The OAS has initiated two parallel anti-trafficking
ARGO proposals.
The first is a cooperation in Spain Portugal and Italy
(SPI).
The second encompasses Austria, Germany and
Switzerland (AGS).
Both projects share a common timetable, aims and
expected results.
The two proposals would come together during the
project at the trainings, which will be explained in
more detail later.
The Nature of the Problem
The Need for More Cooperation on
Human Trafficking from Latin
America to Europe
Latin American Trafficking Victims in Europe
are significant and vulnerable:
 Europe focused on the East
 Increasing irregular migration to Europe
 Sizeable victim numbers, but still a minority
 Preliminary research suggests victims missed
 Weakness of Latin American official presence
 Geographic distance hinders cooperation
Survey of Information on Latin
American Trafficking Victims in
Selected European Countries:
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Spain
Unofficial Data on THB victims identified by
the authorities:
Commercial
Sexual Exploitation
● 2001
795
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2002
2003
Forced Labor
904
1,445
1,527
From the Comisaria General de Extranjeria y Documentacion
3,459
6,457
Spain
According to the Ministry of Interior, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru, and Dominican Republic stand out as source
countries for migration to Spain. The data represents
current legal residents:
● Colombia: 115, 3019
● Ecuador: 71, 238
● Peru: 39, 013
●Dominican Republic: 29, 300 (SOPEMI, 2003)
Spain
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Latin American migration was consolidated in the 1980s and is
predicated on historical connections between Spain and its former
colonies.
It is estimated that 62% of immigrants who come to Spain are
women, a majority who arrive as individual travelers.
A fifth of Ecuador’s labor supply is estimated to be in Spain.
Approximately one of 200 Dominicans lives in Spain (Valiente,
2003)
According to Ministry of Labor illegal immigrants from Latin
America represented half of the total immigrants seeking
regularization under the recent amnesty.
Heuni, a UN affiliated research institute, estimates of 4000-8500
THB victims are brought into Spain annually and that 65% of these
victims come from Latin America.
Spain
Portugal
The scale of the problem is not known in its entirety
reflecting a need for better academic study:
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Portugal is prime country of destination for Brazilian migrants, currently
they compose 11% of 191,000 legal immigrants (SOPEMI 2001)
Latin American victims of crime are the third largest group to whom
APAV ( Portuguese Association for Victim Assistance) lends its services.
Brazilian women are especially vulnerable, as they account for 18.5% of
total female victims awarded assistance by APAV in 2004.
Portugal
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Portugal shares a historic and former colonial relationship
with Brazil that contributes to a sustained migration.
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In 2001, a total of 23,500 Brazilians were calculated to be
present in Portugal. However, it is likely that this number
does not accurately reflect how many Brazilians are in
Portugal.
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A study carried out by HEUNI stated that the problem is not
adequately studied in Portugal but that it is an important
transit country for the rest of Europe. HEUNI claims
75,000 Brazilian women were trafficked in a period of a few
years.
Portugal
Human Trafficking is increasing
Recent journalist report:
From Jornal de Noticias
The topic needs greater
development and study in
Portugal, more cases need to be
reported also. Adopting a hotline
to report cases is a possibility.
Human trafficking is a global
phenomenon whose dimensions are
not yet fully understood and that
renders enormous profits. “In
Portugal it is in great expansion”,
alerted Santos Pais, a member of the
Cabinet for Foreign Relations,
Europe, and Cooperation (GRIEC) of
the Ministry of Justice at a seminar
on the topic at the Almeida Garret
Library.
Italy
Italian Government TIP Data on Victims from Latin
America:
Italian government estimates that 70,000 victims of
trafficking are present in the country.
Colombians: 124 (mainly working as prostitutes on the
streets) 2.1% of all victims of year 2001.
Italy
Persons Vulnerable to Trafficking from Latin
America:
Repatriations and Denied Entries (Jan. - Oct.
2003):
South American 2,265
Ecuador
Brazil
Colombia
Peru
Bolivia
Venezuela
649
573
425
211
158
86
Italy
Persons Vulnerable to Trafficking:
Repatriations and Denied Entries (Jan. - Oct.
2003):
Caribbean and Central America 274
Dominican Republic 133
Cuba
74
Jamaica
14
Others
53
Italy
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In 2000 Latin Americans composed 8 % of total
foreigners according to the Ministry of Interior.
Peruvians accounted for the largest group calculated at
31, 115 in 2003 (ISMU - Fundazione Iniziative E Studi
Sulla Multietnicita).
Brazilians were the second largest migratory group at
19, 277 (IOM).
Heuni estimates that 2,500-5000 victims are trafficked
annually into Italy.
According to ISMU there has been very little research in
Italy that examines the nature of this problem.
Austria
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Over 300 Dominican victims of THB were freed
in Austria in 2003.
 According to a Parliamentary Inquiry on August
4, 2004, there were 236 official victims of THB
in Austria in 2003. The total number of victims
was less, therefore, than the number of
Dominican victims alone.
 Heuni estimated in their 2004 report that 10% of
all trafficking victims in Austria came from
Latin America.
Austria
Austrian Government Data on THB Victims
and Traffickers:
2003 -- 236 (233 women) victims identified
2003 -- 214 Traffickers arrested
Austria
Austrian NGO (LEFOE) Trafficking Data
related to Latin America:
2003 -- assisted 415 women, many from DR,
Venezuela, Chile
2002 -- assisted 208 women
2001 -- assisted 183 women
Germany
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NGO & government data diverge significantly on
the magnitude of THB from Latin America: 6.8%
vs. 2.4% respectively
 According to the TV Broadcaster ZDF, the
majority of women in prostitution in Frankfurt are
from Latin America. 30% from Colombia and
26% from Dom. Rep alone
 29,000 Brazilians and over 10,000 Colombians
live in Germany. 1,000 of these persons did not
have legal status and ca. 150 LA citizens were
repatriated
Germany
German Government Trafficking Data related
to Latin America:
2000 -- 16 victims (5 traffickers)
2001 -- 24 victims (3 traffickers)
2002 -- 11 victims (4 traffickers)
2003 -- 16 victims (5 traffickers)
Germany
German NGOs Trafficking Data related to
Latin America:
In 1999 -- 80 Victims (Official Victims 8)
In 2000 -- 80 Victims (Official Victims 16)
In 2001 -- 99 Victims (Official Victims 24)
Germany
Switzerland
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FEDPOL estimated in 2002 that up to 3,000
prostitutes could be victims of THB
 NGOs reported that 26% of known THB victims
in Switzerland were from Latin America for
2002
 This would equate to an estimated 2,100 Latin
American victims of THB in Switzerland
 Ca. 70% of all Brazilians and Ecuadorians in
Switzerland were female in December 2002
Switzerland
Swiss Government Official THB Data:
Victims
Accused Traffickers
1997
71
81
1998
69
119
1999
88
138
2000
75
105
Switzerland
Proposal for Collaboration:
Combating Human Trafficking
from Latin America to Europe
Proposal: Geographic Coverage
To Link Six destination countries in Western
Europe with five countries of origin in Latin
America:
 Spain, Portugal and Italy (SPI); Austria,
Germany and Switzerland (AGS)
 Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador and Peru
Proposal: Partners
The project represents a partnership of EU national
authorities, European-based NGOs and the OAS:
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Two European National Authorities: One each from
the SPI and AGS regions
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NGOs: One each in all six European countries
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Organization of American States
Proposal: Action
The action of the project is to collect better
information on trafficking victims in Europe and
use the information to shape better policy on both
sides of the Atlantic:
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Six European destination country reports on
trafficking from Latin America
 Five training seminars in Latin American sending
countries that begin policy coordination
 Continued policy engagement advocated by the OAS
in partnership with European and Latin American
officials
Proposal: Six Country Reports
The Country Reports will bring forth better information on
numbers and treatment of victims, trafficking patterns, and
repatriation:
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A partner NGO will research in each European destination
country in collaboration with local authorities
OAS will publish the reports in collaboration with partners
Information will form the basis of five training seminars in the
Latin American countries of origin
Proposal: Five Training Seminars
The OAS will organize one international training seminar in
Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru:
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European officials and NGOs will take part and share research
information on victims and counter-trafficking best practices
The seminars will be used to create a regular dialog between
officials of both continents
OAS will urge policy changes with Latin American
governments based on the information
OAS will maintain the policy engagement
Thank you for your attention.