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GRETA’s second evaluation visit to Spain

A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out a visit to Spain from 5 to 9 June 2017. The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by Spain since GRETA’s first evaluation of this country four years previously.

During the visit, the GRETA delegation met Jorge Sanchis Bordetas, Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for Security and National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as members of the Office of the National Rapporteur. Consultations were also held with representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, the General Council of the Judiciary, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Police, the Civil Guard, the Centre for Intelligence against Terrorism and Organised Crime, and the Office for Asylum and Refugees. The GRETA delegation also met Spain’s Ombudsman, Soledad Becerril Bustamante, and her First Deputy, Francisco Fernández Marugán.

Further, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. In addition to holding meetings in Madrid, the GRETA delegation travelled to Malaga and Zaragoza in order to collect information about the situation in the area of combating trafficking in human beings at regional and local level. In Malaga, it met the Government Representative in Malaga, Miguel Briones Artacho, representatives of the Government Delegation and law enforcement officers. In Zaragoza, meetings were held with the Mayor of Zaragoza, Pedro Santisteve Roche, the Government Representative in Zaragoza, Angel Val Pradilla, representatives of the Municipality of Zaragoza, the Autonomous Community of Aragon, the Women’s Institute of Aragon and law enforcement officers.

Separate meetings were held with representatives of non-governmental organisations, trade unions and the General Council of Spanish Lawyers. The GRETA delegation also met officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited four NGO-run shelters for female victims of trafficking, a first reception centre for children and a police detention facility.

The visit was carried out by Helga Gayer and Helmut Sax, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Ursula Sticker of the Secretariat of the Convention.

Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the Spanish authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report, to be published in the course of 2018.

Strasbourg 12/06/2017
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