24 Trafficking in human beings
| (a)
(26958)
12402/1/05
—
(b)
(26985)
12402/2/05
—
|
Draft Action Plan on trafficking in human beings
Revised draft Action Plan
|
| Legal base | — |
| Deposited in Parliament | (b) 10 November 2005
|
| Department | Home Office |
| Basis of consideration | (b) EM of 10 November 2005
|
| Previous Committee Report | (a) HC 34-ix (2005-06), para 11 (9 November 2005)
(b) None
|
| To be discussed in Council | December 2005
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | (Both) Cleared
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Background
24.1 On 9 November, we considered a Commission Communication and
a draft Action Plan from the UK Presidency on trafficking in human
beings.[53] Both were
produced in response to the invitation in the Hague Programme
to devise a plan for the development of common standards, best
practices and mechanisms to prevent and combat trafficking in
human beings.
24.2 The Government told us that the draft Action
Plan was based on the Commission's Communication. While the Action
Plan would not be binding on Member States, the Government expected
that the Plan would direct future work at EU level. A revised
draft of the Plan would soon be deposited for scrutiny. The UK
Presidency was aiming for the adoption of the Plan at the Justice
and Home Affairs Council in December.
24.3 In our report to the House, we emphasised our
abhorrence of trafficking in human beings and, therefore, the
importance we attach to the Action Plan.
24.4 We welcomed the pragmatic approach of the Presidency's
draft. We noted that a revised version was expected shortly. Meanwhile,
we kept the draft Action Plan under scrutiny.
The revised draft
24.5 The revised draft of the Action Plan incorporates
amendments made in the light of the meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary
Group on Organised Crime on 8 November.
24.6 Like the previous draft, the revised one contains
an Annex setting out a statement of principles. Additions have
been made to the Annex which reflect passages in the Commission's
Communication. For example, a new paragraph 4(ii) has been inserted
which says:
"Human trafficking is a serous crime against
persons, which must be addressed as a clear law enforcement priority.
Human trafficking has to be converted from a 'low risk—high
reward enterprise for organised crime' into a high risk—low
reward one. Law enforcement must use all the resources and capacity
available to enforce the prohibition of human trafficking, to
deprive it of any economic advantage and, where financial gain
has been made, to seize and confiscate any assets. The investigation
of human trafficking should be afforded the same priority as other
areas of organised crime in that specialist investigative techniques
and disruption strategies should be employed."
An identical passage appears on page 4 of the Commission
Communication.
24.7 In addition, a number of minor amendments have
been made to the Table of Action. For example, both the previous
draft and the revised one include an action to develop common
guidelines for the collection of data, including comparable indicators
(Action 2 (1)(a)). The previous draft proposed that the date for
the completion of the work should be March 2006; the revised draft
proposes completion by the autumn of 2006. A more substantial
amendment proposes that "Member States should consider as
a priority signature and ratification of the Council of Europe
Convention on trafficking in human beings" (Action 1(3)(c)).
The Government's view
24.8 The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at
the Home Office (Mr Paul Goggins) says that the amendments incorporated
in the revised draft are acceptable to the Government. In particular,
he says that the addition of the reference to the Council of Europe
Convention on trafficking in human beings is intended to encourage
Member States to consider signing the Convention. The Government
is already doing detailed work to establish whether it should
sign and implement it.
Conclusion
24.9 The amendments incorporated in the revised
draft appear to us to make no significant change to the substance
of the Action Plan. We see no need to keep it under scrutiny.
It supersedes the previous draft and so we are also content to
clear that document.
53 See headnote. Back
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