The Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA), an independent monitoring body established under the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking convention, has published its new monitoring report on Belarus today. The reports focuses on access to justice and effective remedies for victims of trafficking in human beings, and makes recommendations for how to deal with this evolving problem in that country.
Context of the report’s preparation
Following the suspension of all relations between the Council of Europe and the Belarusian authorities on 17 March 2022 because of the active participation of Belarus in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the rights of Belarus in the Committee of the Parties to the Convention against trafficking in human beings were restricted. However, it remains a party to the convention which is not restricted to Council of Europe member states and as such continues to be monitored by GRETA.
As a result of the suspension of co-operation between the Council of Europe and Belarus, GRETA was not in a position to carry out a country visit to Belarus in the framework of the preparation of this monitoring report and thus based its analysis on the information provided by the Belarusian authorities, as well as NGOs, including those in exile, and international organisations.
True scale of trafficking problem hard to assess
The GRETA report notes that Belarus is primarily a country of origin for trafficked people, but is also to some extent a country of transit and destination. According to data of the Interior Ministry, the number of possible victims of trafficking in human beings and related crimes was 1,341 in 2022-25, and the number of formally identified victims was 1,161. Children accounted for 59% of the identified victims and women represented 40% of the identified victims. The overwhelming majority of the victims (96.6%) were subjected to sexual exploitation. Some 86% of the identified victims were exploited within Belarus.
The official figures probably do not reflect the real scale of the trafficking phenomenon in Belarus, GRETA says. Despite the fact that tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Belarus since 2021 and attempted to cross the border with Poland, Lithuania or Latvia, the absence of identified victims amongst migrants and asylum seekers suggests that there is lack of proactive screening for human trafficking among foreign nationals. GRETA calls on the Belarusian authorities to improve the identification of victims of trafficking among foreign nationals and to ensure that pre-removal risk assessments prior to all forced removals from Belarus assess the risks of trafficking or re-trafficking on return.
Legislative changes, but legal-assistance issues remain
GRETA notes that since 2022, the Belarusian authorities have adopted several legislative changes which have relevance to action against human trafficking. A regulation on child-friendly interrogation rooms was approved, and relevant amendments were made to the Code of Criminal Procedure. GRETA welcomes the increase in the availability of such rooms and the use of trained psychologists to interview child victims but calls on the Belarusian authorities to ensure that child-sensitive procedures are consistently used in cases involving all children up to the age of 18. Furthermore, GRETA welcomes the adoption of the national mechanism for providing assistance to children who have suffered from sexual violence and exploitation.
Despite the existence of legal provisions guaranteeing the right of victims of trafficking to legal assistance, no victims of trafficking were provided with free legal assistance by professional lawyers. GRETA urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure that victims of trafficking have access to lawyers with specialised knowledge on human trafficking cases to provide them with legal assistance and representation in the relevant legal proceedings, and to ensure that lawyers can carry out their professional activities without interference and fear of reprisals.
The report notes that although the relevant legal framework for compensation from the perpetrators is in place, only two victims of trafficking were awarded compensation during the reporting period. There is still no provision in Belarus for state compensation to victims of violent crimes, including victims of trafficking, and therefore GRETA calls on the authorities to establish a state compensation scheme accessible to victims of trafficking.
Only one case was adjudicated as trafficking in human beings in Belarus in 2022-24. GRETA once again urges the Belarusian authorities to bring the definition of human trafficking in the Criminal Code fully in line with Article 4 of the convention by including “abuse of a position of vulnerability” as one of the means for committing trafficking and removing the requirement of “prior knowledge” that the person is a child.
Belarusian government must take action on trafficking
The report also follows up on the implementation of recommendations made in previous GRETA reports. GRETA once again urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure that all victims of trafficking can receive adequate support and assistance, having regard to their individual needs, for as long as required. It also calls on the Belarusian authorities to enshrine in law the recovery and reflection period.
Taking into account the increase in migrant workers in Belarus, GRETA urges the Belarusian authorities to review the legislative framework, strengthen the supervision of recruitment agencies, and provide labour inspectors with training and adequate financial and technical means so that they can be proactively engaged in the prevention and detection of trafficking in all sectors of the economy.
Noting the important role of civil society in the implementation of the convention, GRETA once again urges the Belarusian authorities to review any legislation which may impede the work of specialised anti-trafficking NGOs.
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The Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA) is an independent body which monitors the way countries implement the Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings. All 46 member states of the Council of Europe are bound by the convention, as well as non-member states Belarus and Israel.
