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 Germany from 4 to 8 June 2018. The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the first evaluation visit by GRETA in 2014.

During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with officials from the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Federal Police, and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The delegation also met with members of the German federal parliament (Bundestag).

In addition, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the regional governments and relevant public agencies in Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony.

In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited a shelter for women victims of trafficking run by the NGO ONA in Berlin, a shelter for particularly vulnerable migrant women run by the NGO IMMA in Munich, and an accommodation centre for unaccompanied foreign children in Hanover, which is run by the municipality.

The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations, trade unions, the German Institute for Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The visit was carried out by Mr Helmut Sax and Ms Dorothea Winkler, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Mr Markus Lehner and Ms Ursula Sticker of the Secretariat of the Convention.

Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the German authorities for comments. The final report will be made public after its adoption by GRETA.