Publication date: 27 March 2026
The report provides an in‑depth overview of Belgium’s status for smuggling victims, highlighting its objectives, legal framework, and practical implementation. It examines how the status is applied, who benefits from it, and the operational challenges encountered. The publication also identifies gaps in data collection and coordination between agencies. Finally, it offers evidence‑based recommendations to strengthen victim protection and improve the overall effectiveness of the system.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: victim of smuggling, status, Belgium, victim protection
Publication date: 04 March 2026
The report compiles available figures for the period 2015–2024 and examines how data are recorded, shared and used. It provides a clearer statistical basis for understanding the situation of minors at risk of trafficking and aggravated forms of smuggling, while identifying structural gaps in current data systems.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Data & Statistics, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: victim of trafficking, victim of smuggling, minor, data collection, figures
Publication date: 08 December 2025
Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report “Victims: Seeing Them and Listening to Them” on 8 December 2025. The report draws attention to the psychological vulnerabilities of victims of human trafficking and calls, inter alia, for strengthened training and specialisation of professionals on the specific psychological vulnerabilities and needs of these victims.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: victim of trafficking, victim of smuggling, psychological vulnerability
Publication date: 16 July 2025
This EMN study examines how 25 countries address the international dimension of human trafficking, encompassing prevention, law enforcement, victim support, and international partnerships. It presents national approaches, good practices and persistent challenges, both within EMN countries and in cooperation with third countries. Readers will find examples of institutional cooperation, capacity-building efforts, and initiatives targeting specific regions or groups. The study also highlights how recent EU policy developments are shaping national anti-trafficking strategies.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: trafficking victim, non-EU national, anti-trafficking strategy, international dimension
Publication date: 18 December 2024
Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "Latin American Sex Work: A Risky Carousel" on 18 December 2024. Myria draws attention to the phenomenon of Latin American sex work and calls for adapting the fight against trafficking to the new realities linked to the digital world.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: sex worker, Latin America, criminal network, social network
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: 25 July 2024
This publication, entitled "Tackling threat, addressing challenges - Europol's response to migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings in 2023 and onwards", looks into the latest developments and main threats in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings (THB) based on the most recent operations supported by Europol. It highlights the main challenges presented by the current criminal landscape and aims to help law enforcement step up the fight against criminal networks.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: Europol, migrant smuggling, cross-border crime, violence, digital technology
Publication date: 02 May 2024
Under Council Directive 2004/81/EC, EU Member States have the option to grant residence permits to third-country nationals who have been the subject of an action to facilitate illegal immigration, such as smuggling. This ad hoc query seeks to map which Member States have implemented this possibility, and to what extent this residence procedure is used in practice.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, migrant smuggling, victim
Publication date: 29 April 2024
The general report 2023 of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) includes a stocktaking of the third evaluation round of the Convention, which focused on trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. GRETA analyses trends emerging from its country reports, drawing attention to gaps in the implementation of the Convention, as well as promising practices.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: GRETA, access to justice, effective remedy, vulnerability, displaced person
Publication date: 19 December 2023
Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "A chain of responsibilities" on 19 December 2023.
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Publication date: 07 December 2022
Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "Trapped by debt" on 7 December 2022.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Publication date: 20 October 2022
In 2022, Belgium was subject to the third evaluation round of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This report analyses in detail how the Belgian authorities ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims of trafficking in human beings.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: GRETA, effective remedy, victims of human trafficking
Publication date: 06 May 2022
Trafficking in human beings is a crime against the victim’s fundamental rights. It can take several forms, such as sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery and servitude-related practices, as well as the removal of organs. This practice is prohibited under numerous EU and international instruments. Yet, persistent demand for sexual services and for low-wage workers employed in manual jobs continues to provide opportunities for traffickers to exploit human beings.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: victims of human trafficking
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Myria, the Federal Migration Centre and independent national rapporteur on trafficking in human beings, published its independent and public annual report "Behind Closed Doors" on 15 December 2020.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Publication date: 22 October 2018
As independent National Rapporteur on trafficking in human beings for Belgium, for over 20 years Myria has carried out a yearly independent policy evaluation. In its latest report on Human Trafficking and Smuggling Myria focuses on underage victims of trafficking and smuggling of human beings.
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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
Publication date: 01 December 2017
This EMN Policy Brief examines trends in applications for international protection and irregular movements of third-country national migrants across the EU and Norway. It focuses on the period 2012 - 2016 and – where data is available - up to August 2017. This is an update of the Policy Brief published in December 2015.
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Main theme: International Protection, Borders & Visa, Irregular Migration, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: asylum applications, asylum decisions, Mediterranean, migratory route, secondary movement
Publication date: 19 October 2017
As independent National Rapporteur on trafficking in human beings for Belgium, for over 20 years Myria has carried out a yearly independent policy evaluation. In its latest report on Human Trafficking and Smuggling Myria focuses on the role of the internet and social media in trafficking and smuggling, but also on combating trafficking and smuggling human beings.
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Publication date: 25 August 2017
This EMN Inform summarizes the main findings of the EMN study "The Illegal Employment of Third-Country Nationals in the EU".
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration, Return & Readmission, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Informs
Publication date: 08 May 2017
This publication is based on social media research conducted by a small UNHCR team. Between March and December 2016, they issued weekly monitoring reports which have now been compiled into this synopsis.
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Main theme: International Protection, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: social media, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria
Publication date: 06 April 2017
The Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community (AFIC) Joint Report 2016 analyses the irregular migratory movements affecting AFIC countries and EU Member States, cross-border criminality and provides an overview of the main regional security threats affecting the countries in the community. The report also presents a picture of the smuggling networks in Africa.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa, Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: human smuggling, border control, border security, cross-border crime
Publication date: 31 October 2016
In its annual report, Myria examines the evolution and the results of the fight against smuggling and trafficking in human beings and provides recommendations. The 2016 report focuses in particular on the exploitation of begging.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking, Data & Statistics
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: Myria, Germany, annual report
Publication date: 19 October 2016
This EMN Inform provides an overview of the use of social media in migrant smuggling.
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Publication date: 07 June 2016
Among other findings, the report estimates that the annual turnover of migrant smuggling was worth an estimated USD 5 to 6 billion in 2015, representing one of the main profit-generating activities for organised criminals in Europe.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: migrant smuggling, criminal network, foreign terrorist fighter
Publication date: 28 April 2016
This new study by ICMPD, "Targeting Vulnerabilities", examines the impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.