[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

GREECE (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Greece does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Greece remained on Tier 2.  These efforts included investigating and convicting more traffickers and identifying significantly more victims.  The anti-trafficking unit (ATU) resumed joint inspections with labor inspectors, and the government created the Office of Justice Statistics to improve collection of reliable crime statistics, including trafficking.  Parliament passed legislation providing for special judicial investigators in Athens and Thessaloniki dedicated to trafficking cases.  The Hellenic Police (HP) issued an order for all police to screen vulnerable populations for trafficking indicators and, while procedures for victims to receive official victim status usually lasted years, the government issued a circular to all prosecutors requiring issuance of official victim status in a timely manner and emphasized beginning victim-centered approaches to counter previous delays.  However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.  Judges suspended the sentences of nearly half of convicted traffickers and acquitted many defendants because the government did not consistently ensure the continued inclusion of victim testimony after the repatriation of foreign national victims and witnesses throughout multi-year court proceedings.  Authorities did not provide services to victims, such as free legal aid or funding for travel and other expenses for victims to attend court hearings, to mitigate the burden of lengthy prosecutions.  The government did not consistently screen asylum-seekers and migrants for trafficking indicators and continued to make numerous, sometimes violent, pushbacks against migrants and asylum-seekers, which discouraged potential victims from self-identifying or cooperating with authorities.  Some first responders had institutionalized biases that hindered identifying trafficking victims due to their misperception of sex trafficking cases as “only prostitution” or “survival sex” and/or potential forced child begging and forced labor involving Roma as traditional cultural practices and customs.  The NRM often only collected statistical information and did not refer victims to housing or other services.  Finally, government-run shelters continued to limit access to some victims from needed support, due to a lack of resources and space.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, including complicit officials.

Train first responders on victim identification and referral to increase proactive identification efforts for victims among vulnerable populations, such as unaccompanied children, migrants, refugees, individuals in commercial sex, and asylum-seekers.

Strengthen specialized services including shelter and psycho-social support for all victims, including children, adult males, and victims in rural areas.

Strengthen rules and regulations to ensure immigration enforcement does not hinder human trafficking detection, criminal law enforcement, or victim protections and institutionalize and implement robust screening procedures for migrant flows, including asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children.

Decrease the length of court proceedings for trafficking cases and encourage victims’ participation in investigations and prosecutions.

Reduce the burden of lengthy proceedings by providing alternative methods to testify, such as offering remote testimony or funding for travel and other expenses for victims to attend court hearings.

Take concrete steps to expedite the victim certification process irrespective of victim cooperation in law enforcement efforts.

Appoint a national rapporteur on human trafficking and allocate sufficient resources to the Office of the National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking (ONRHT).

Develop policies for victim-centered prosecutions and implement witness protection provisions already incorporated into law.

Provide training to judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement on trafficking investigations and prosecutions, particularly in rural areas and for non-specialized staff.

Improve measures to order restitution and compensation for victims, including through training prosecutors and judges, asset seizure, and legal assistance.