A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Greece from 3 to 7 October 2016. The visit was organised in the context of the first round of evaluation of the implementation by Greece of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation met the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, Mr Heracles Moskoff, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as officials from the Hellenic Police, including representatives of the specialised anti-trafficking departments in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Asylum Service, the Reception and Identification Service, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA), the Labour Inspectorate (SEPE), the Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, the Ministry of Education, and the Institute of Child Health under the Ministry of Health. Meetings were also held with prosecutors and judges. Further, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office and members of the recently set-up sub-committee against trafficking in human beings of the Hellenic Parliament.
Separate meetings were held with representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lawyers, the trade union Centre of Athens Labour Unions (EKA), and officials from the local offices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited a specialised shelter for women victims of human trafficking run by the NGO A21, two shelters for women victims of violence, including human trafficking, run respectively by the municipality of Athens and EKKA, a state-run accommodation centre for unaccompanied minors in Thessaloniki, a shelter for unaccompanied minors run by the NGO Praksis, and the refugee sites Eleonas in Athens and Diavata in Thessaloniki.
The visit was carried out by Mr Ryszard Piotrowicz and Ms Rita Theodorou Superman, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Mr Markus Lehner of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the Greek authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be made public.
