News

Back GRETA carries out its fourth evaluation visit to Portugal

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 Portugal from 14 to 18 July 2025, as part of the fourth evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

This new evaluation round of monitoring the implementation of the Convention focuses on vulnerabilities to human trafficking and measures taken by States Parties to prevent them, detect and support vulnerable victims, and punish the offenders. This includes a focus on the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which brings structural changes to the way offenders operate and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities.

Prior to the visit, the Portuguese authorities provided a reply to GRETA’s questionnaire for the fourth evaluation round. In addition to the new thematic focus, GRETA examined how the main recommendations made in its third evaluation report on Portugal have been implemented.

During the visit, the GRETA delegation held meetings with Ms Margarida Balseiro Lopes, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, and Ms Sandra Ribeiro, President of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG). Consultations were also conducted with Mr Manuel Albano, National Rapporteur for Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as officials from relevant ministries and public bodies, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), the Criminal Police, the Public Security Police (PSP), the National Republican Guard (GNR), the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Commission for the Protection of Victims of Crime (CPVC), the Labour Conditions Authority (ACT), the Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE), the National Commission for the Promotion of Rights and Protection of Children and Young People (CNPDPCJ), and the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth. The GRETA delegation also met members of the Commission on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees of the Portuguese Parliament and representatives of the Office of the Portuguese Ombudsperson. Further, the delegation met members of the regional multi-disciplinary teams responsible for the support and protection of victims of trafficking, based in Lisbon and Porto.

The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations, the Portuguese National Bar and lawyers representing victims of trafficking. The GRETA delegation also met officials of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation travelled to the region of Alentejo where it visited a shelter for male victims of human trafficking run by an NGO. The delegation also visited the immigration detention centre at Lisbon Airport, an asylum reception centre (CAR 1) in Bobadela as well as a shelter for homeless people run by Salvation Army in Lisbon.

The visit was carried out by Ms Ia Dadunashvili and Mr David Mancini, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Teresa Armengol de la Hoz of the Secretariat of the Convention.

Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the national authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be made public in the course of 2026.