Human trafficking: Swiss urged to improve victim protection
The report calls on Switzerland to carry out systematic police investigations into disappearances of children.
Keystone/Peter Steffen
Switzerland has been told by the Council of Europe that it needs to step up efforts to tackle human trafficking, but it has also been praised for making progress over the past few years.
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Suiza debe hacer más para proteger a víctimas de tráfico humano
A special group of experts from the Strasbourg-based council, which is not connected to the European Union, called on the Swiss authorities to improve the identification and protection of victims of trafficking in a bid to crack down on labour exploitation.
“[We] recommend that Switzerland ensure that a formalised victim identification procedure is put in place in all cantons,” the council said in a statementExternal link published on Wednesday.
The expert report also urged the Swiss authorities to do more to prevent trafficking of unaccompanied or separated children by providing safe accommodation and adequate supervision.
“All victims of trafficking under Swiss jurisdiction, including asylum-seekers and people exploited abroad but identified by Switzerland, must benefit from assistance measures,” said a press release.
Progress
The council acknowledged that progress had been made since a first report on Switzerland in 2015, including the adoption of an action plan to fight human trafficking, training for officials and the launch of awareness campaigns for the public and medical staff.
Human trafficking remains a problem for Switzerland
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Taken together with the 113 ongoing consultations from previous years, FIZ says the number of cases of women being trafficked into the country (many for prostitution) remains high. In 2017, FIZ provided support for 228 women. To combat the problem, FIZExternal link has joined forces with Church groups to provide better care for the victims. The Zurich-based entity will receive funding…
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