last updated September 1, 2005
The obligation of national governments to provide services to assist victims of trafficking is set forth by the United Nations and at the European level. International legal documents call for the provision of housing, medical and psychological aid, legal assistance and employment or vocational training, if necessary. The extent to which the government must provide such services is not prescribed, but generally trafficking victims should be offered assistance that is comparable to that which would be required by a victim of other forms of gender-based violence, such as domestic violence. The UN Trafficking Protocol anticipates that there is variation across countries as to the extent to which services can be offered and thus its provisions are to be implemented progressively, to the greatest extent possible. | 