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 Hungary on 27 February - 3 March 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 Hungarian 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 met Mr Mátyás Hegyaljai, National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator, and the representatives of the Unit for Counter Trafficking and Horizontal Issues of the Ministry of the Interior. Consultations were also held with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Innovation and Culture, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, child protection and guardianship agencies, the Police, the National Directorate General for Aliens Policing, the National Crisis Management and Information Telephone Service (OKIT), the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Financial Intelligence Unit of the National Tax and Customs Administration, the National Office of the Judiciary and judges. Furthermore, the delegation met the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and representatives of the Hungarian Parliament.
In addition to holding meetings in Budapest, GRETA’s delegation travelled to Győr where it met representatives of the police, prosecutors, judges and social service representatives.
The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with non-governmental organisations 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 four shelters and safe houses accommodating victims of human trafficking in Budapest and in the north-western part of the country, and to meet victims of human trafficking. The GRETA delegation also visited a children’s home in Budapest that can accommodate child victims of trafficking, a support centre for victims of crime, including trafficking victims, and a children’s house (based on the Barnahus model).
The visit was carried out by Ms Conny Rijken and Mr Sergey Ghazinyan, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Teresa Armengol de la Hoz and Ms Asja Zujo of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the Hungarian authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be published at the beginning of 2024.
See also:
Action against trafficking in Human Beings | Country monitoring: Hungary
News published on the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Interior
Meeting with the Secretary General Mr Balázs Könnyid and other members of the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
