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 form 16 to 20 March 2026, as part of the third evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The focus of this evaluation round of the Convention is on trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies. Prior to the visit, the Greek authorities provided a reply to GRETA’s questionnaire related to the evaluation.
The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Convention by Greece since GRETA’s second report, published in March 2023.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation met Mr Ioannis Brachos, Head of the Office of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Heracles Moskoff, General Secretary for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, as well as officials from the Hellenic Police, the Hellenic Coast Guard, the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA), the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. Further, consultations were held with prosecutors from the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal of Piraeus. As a part of the visit, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Hellenic Labour Inspectorate and the National Transparency Authority.
Further, GRETA’s delegation met Ms Maria Antoniou, Chair of the Sub-committee for Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation of the Hellenic Parliament. Meetings were also held with the Deputy Ombudsman for Equal Treatment, Ms Kalliopi Lykovardi, and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights’ President, Ms Maria Gavouneli, and Second Vice-President, Ellie Varchalama.
The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations and lawyers. Discussions were also held with representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
During the visit, the GRETA delegation visited EKKA’s shelter for women victims of violence and human trafficking in Athens, an emergency accommodation facility for unaccompanied children run by IOM, the Reception and Identification Centre for asylum seekers in Malakasa, the Closed Controlled Access Centre on the island of Samos, and Athens Airport Special Holding Facility.
The visit was carried out by Ms Biljana Lubarovska and Mr David Mancini, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Mr Yuriy Paltsev 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 published in the course of 2027.
