[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

CZECH REPUBLIC (Tier 1) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of the Czech Republic fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.  The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore the Czech Republic remained on Tier 1.  These efforts included identifying more “official” victims who participated in the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) Program of Support and Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (the Program), providing services to more victims and potential victims who did not participate in the Program, and seizing assets from convicted traffickers.  In addition, the government initiated implementation of a project to improve child victim identification and assistance, conducted extensive awareness-raising activities targeting refugees from Ukraine, and identified more illegal employment agencies.  Although the government meets the minimum standards, it convicted fewer traffickers and suspended the majority of convicted traffickers’ sentences.  Furthermore, observers expressed concern authorities did not effectively identify labor trafficking victims.  Observers also reported identification procedures, crisis support, and long-term services for child trafficking victims remained insufficient.  The government did not maintain comprehensive assistance statistics and, therefore, could not identify and respond to gaps in services.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously prosecute and convict traffickers and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Train a wider range of prosecutors and judges, including civil and administrative judges, on the severity of the crime, on recognizing subtle forms of coercion, on the irrelevance of a victim’s initial consent when proving a trafficking crime, and on how to utilize victim protection programs for trafficking victims.

Increase training for labor inspectors on labor trafficking victim identification criteria, recognizing subtle forms of coercion, and evolving trends in labor trafficking.

Enhance collaboration between the labor inspectorate and police to effectively identify potential labor trafficking cases.

Improve identification of child trafficking victims, including unaccompanied children and children in institutional care, and specialized crisis and long-term case management for child victims.

Proactively identify victims and increase efforts to effectively screen vulnerable populations, including asylum-seekers, migrant workers, and detainees in immigration detention facilities.

Improve and reform law enforcement data collection efforts, including by disaggregating sex and labor trafficking case data and comprehensively reporting victim data, particularly on those who do not participate in the MOI Program.

Increase training for local and regional police on victim identification and ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Improve victims’ ability to access court-ordered restitution in criminal cases and compensation through civil proceedings.