On June 3, 2015, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) published its first evaluation of Germany. Although Germany has adopted new anti-trafficking legislation and provided better anti-trafficking training to judges and prosecutors, GRETA’s report urges Germany to implement additional improvements to aid trafficking victims and align German criminal law with the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This would include greater efforts to identify and provide assistance to victims of trafficking, especially children and those involved in labor exploitation, and to ensure all forms of trafficking in human beings are prohibited under German law.
Additionally, the report calls on Germany to help victims secure compensation and to provide foreign victims with “the right to be granted a temporary residence permit.” GRETA recommends increasing the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the implementation of anti-trafficking policies.
Compiled from: Greta Publishes First Report on Germany, Council of Europe, Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (June 5, 2015).