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 the Czech Republic from 4 to 8 March 2019. The visit was organised in the context of the first round of evaluation of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by the Czech Republic.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation met the First Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr Jiří Nováček, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr Michal Franĕk, as well as officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Regional Development. Meetings were also held with prosecutors and judges. Further, the GRETA delegation met the Public Defender of Rights, Ms Anna Šabatová.
Separate meetings were held with representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lawyers and officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In the course of the visit, GRETA’s delegation visited a shelter for victims of trafficking run by the NGO Diakonie in Prague and a shelter for women and children victims of violence and human trafficking, run under the Project Magdala of Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague. Further, the GRETA delegation visited the Centre “PRO” in Blansko, which runs a shelter for victims of violence and carries out outreach work.
The visit was carried out by Mr Ryszard Piotrowicz, President of GRETA a.i., and Ms Helga Gayer, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the Czech authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be made public.
