Publication date: 21 November 2024
This manual, aimed at both workplace inspection staff and trainers, intends to empower them to enforce the protective standards in EU law that safeguard the rights of third-country workers, including seasonal workers, migrant workers with temporary permits and migrants in an irregular situation.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: labour inspection, labour exploitation, migrant worker
Publication date: 03 April 2018
The GRETA report, covering the period from 1 January until 31 December 2018, stresses that labour exploitation is on the rise across Europe. Also in Belgium, labour exploitation appears as a predominant form of trafficking.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: labour exploitation, vulnerability, migrant worker
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On 4 November 2025, two EMN Belgium colleagues met with the General Delegates for Children’s Rights, Caroline Vrijens (Flanders) and Souleymane Laqdim (French Community), accompanied by two of Ms Vrijens’ team members. The meeting was highly cordial and provided an opportunity for open discussion and in-depth dialogue on shared concerns and potential avenues for cooperation. Key topics included the challenges faced by migrant children in Belgium.
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From 13 to 18 October, PAG-ASA organises a series of activities in Brussels as part of the Human Trafficking Awareness Week. The events aim to raise awareness of human trafficking, its impact on victims, and the Belgian protection framework. Activities include exhibitions, film screenings, and professional trainings. EMN Belgium attended one of the film screenings, reflecting on forms of labour exploitation and the challenges involved in assisting and upholding the rights of victims.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking awareness week, victim of trafficking, labour exploitation, labour right
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Over 70 specialists from 26 countries took part in a Europol-supported hackathon aimed at detecting online activities linked to human trafficking. The operation, led by the Netherlands with the support of Germany and the United Kingdom, identified over 30 potential victims and more than 30 suspected perpetrators. The Belgian authorities also took part in this fourth edition of the EMPACT Trafficking in Human Beings Hackathon, which targeted both sexual and labour exploitation online.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: EMPACT, hackathon, trafficking victim, sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, online
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On 2 October 2025, EMN France brought together numerous French and European stakeholders to take stock of efforts to combat human trafficking at both national and European levels. The event provided an opportunity to identify emerging forms of trafficking and to examine international cooperation tools such as Common Operational Partnerships and EMPACT-coordinated actions.
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The European Commission published its fifth report on the progress made in the EU in combatting Trafficking in Human Beings. The report outlines, inter alia, that in 2021-2022, the majority of victims were non-EU citizens (54%). This demonstrates a shift compared to 2019-2020, when the majority of registered victims were EU citizens (55%).
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From 20 to 27 April 2024, Belgium participated, with 30 other countries, in the EMPACT Joint Action Days targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation purposes. The action resulted inter alia in 160 perpetrators and 334 potential victims identified and led to the arrest of 51 persons.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: joint action day, labour exploitation
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Through its campaign “So what, we continue the exploitation?”, the CIRÉ underlines that undocumented workers who informally fill the labour needs, are at risk of being exploited. It pleads to give them access to legal work, particularly through the single permit procedure.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: undocumented migrants, undocumented worker, single permit, labour shortages, labour exploitation
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The European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) and Best Practice Conference (BPC) will focus on the trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation and other kinds of exploitation.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Keywords: human trafficking, labour exploitation, crime prevention
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The Conference allowed participants to gain insight into legal provisions against labour exploitation and to examine the role of different actors in upholding the rights of foreign workers. Good practices and lessons learnt from selected countries were presented and discussed.