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 France from 5 to 9 September 2016. The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the first evaluation visit by GRETA in 2012 (link to GRETA's report on France).
During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with officials from the Interministerial group on combatting violence against women and human trafficking (MIPROF), the Ministry of the Interior, in particular the competent national law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Vocational Training and Social Dialogue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the National Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), the National Observatory on Delinquency and Penal Responses (ONDRP), and the Agency for Biomedicine. The GRETA delegation also met Ms Michèle de Sergovac, president of the National Court of Asylum, Ms Christine Lazergues, president of the National Consultative Committee on Human Rights (CNCDH), which acts as National Rapporteur on human trafficking, Ms Geneviève Avenard, Ombudsperson for Children, and Ms Chantal Jouanno, senator and president of the Delegation for women’s rights and gender equality.
Furthermore, in Paris, the GRETA delegation had meetings with representatives of the Paris Municipality as well as judges and prosecutors, in particular of the Specialised Interregional Court (JIRS). In addition, the delegation met relevant public stakeholders in Bordeaux, Lille and Marseille. These included representatives from municipalities, prefectures, local law enforcement agencies, local child protection services as well as judges and prosecutors, including from JIRS.
In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited a specialised shelter for women victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation run by the NGO AFJ in Paris, as well as the “Leydet” emergency shelter in Bordeaux and the “Jane Pannier” shelter in Marseille, both of which can accommodate victims of human trafficking.
In addition, the GRETA delegation went to Calais to visit the Jules Ferry Centre run by the NGO La Vie Active, including the provisional shelter (centre provisoire d’accueil) and the shelter for women and children, and to St Omer to visit a shelter for unaccompanied boys (La Maison du Jeune Réfugié) run by the NGO France Terre d’Asile. The delegation also met representatives of the OFPRA and local child protection services.
The GRETA delegation met representatives of non-governmental organisations active in combating trafficking in human beings and assisting its victims, lawyers, trade union representatives and academics. Discussions were also held with representatives of the offices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in France.
The visit was carried out by Ms Siobhán Mullally, First Vice President of GRETA, and Mr Frédéric Kurz, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Mr Gerald Dunn of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the French authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report to be published in spring 2017.
