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 Italy on 13-17 February 2023 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 Italian authorities provided a reply to GRETA’s questionnaire for the third evaluation round. In addition to the new thematic focus, GRETA verified how the main recommendations made in its second evaluation report have been implemented.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with officials of the Department for Equal Opportunities of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Ministry of Health. Furthermore, it held meetings with representatives of the Anti-trafficking Helpline (Numero Verde), the State Police, the Carabinieri Corps, the Financial Police, the Coast Guard Harbour Master, the National Anti-Mafia Directorate, the Court of Cassation, the High Council for the Judiciary, the National School for the Judiciary, the National Labour Inspectorate, the National Institute for Statistics, the Territorial Commission for the recognition of the right to asylum of Rome, and the National Council of Lawyers. Separate meetings were held with members of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate.
The GRETA delegation also met Mr Mauro Palma, President of the National Guarantor of the Rights of Persons Deprived of Their Liberty, and staff of the Supervisory Authority for Children and Adolescents.
In addition to holding meetings in Rome, the GRETA delegation travelled to Turin (Piedmont) and Foggia (Puglia) where it met regional and local officials, public prosecutors, law enforcement officers, labour inspectors, social security inspectors, members of territorial commissions on the recognition of the right to asylum, and civil society representatives.
Separate meetings were held with members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, lawyers and representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The visit provided an opportunity to visit several shelters for victims of human trafficking, run by NGOs in Rome and Turin, and to meet victims of trafficking. In addition, the GRETA delegation went to the informal settlement of Borgo Mezzanone (Puglia) where it witnessed the living conditions of thousands of undocumented migrant workers.
The visit was carried out by Ms Helga Gayer, President of GRETA, and Mr Peter Van Hauwermeiren, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Ms Parvine Ghadami of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the Italian authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be published in early 2024.
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