The special Commission “Human Trafficking and Smuggling” approves 100 recommendations
The special parliamentary Commission tasked to assess the Belgian legislation and policy on trafficking in and smuggling of human beings adopted today 100 recommendations dealing with various forms of exploitation such as economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, the exploitation of begging, forced criminality, illegal adoption, and forced marriage.
After hearing numerous stakeholders (lawyers, magistrates, social inspection, police, trade unions, victim support associations, shelters, international institutions, etc.) and compiling these testimonies, the special Commission on trafficking in and smuggling of human beings adopted today more than a hundred recommendations.
The members of the special Commission propose setting up a single institution, under the authority of the Minister of Justice, which would be the national coordination center for human trafficking and smuggling. They propose setting up, within this national center, a central point for victims accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Among other recommendations, the members of the special Commission also propose:
- Improving the reception of victims
- Enabling better compensation by adapting the Fund for Victims
- Providing brochures with information on the labour law and possibilities to notify abuses
- Developing specialized chambers for trafficking and smuggling cases (like in West Flanders)
- Toughening penalties for traffickers
- Creating a new offense of “aggravated economic exploitation”
- Allowing sufficient manpower for the effectiveness of police work
- Empowering regional employment inspectors to investigate trafficking and smuggling
- Investigating for social dumping/human trafficking any serious work accident involving an illegally staying worker
Set up in February 2022 and chaired by Khalil Aouasi (PS), the Commission has closed its work with this vote. Its recommendations will soon be submitted to the plenary session.