Ilkka Laitinen, Executive Director of Frontex, told the conference, “Towards a multidisciplinary approach to prevention of trafficking in human beings, prosecution of traffickers and protection of victims,” organised in Brussels by the Belgian Presidency, as part the 4th EU Anti-Trafficking Day on October 18, that the Agency could be more effective in preventing such crimes as Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) given increased powers.
“As head of Frontex, I am convinced that, if we have proper situational awareness, we can massively improve the effect of the EU actors in preventing THB and protecting victims,” Mr Laitinen told the conference. “[…] We are hopeful that our Agency will be allowed to play a more efficient and effective role in its part of the strategy to prevent THB.”
Highlighting the change in emphasis of the Agency’s role in light of the Lisbon Treaty and the Stockholm Programme, Mr Laitinen pointed out the need for increased powers under the upcoming revision to the Frontex Regulation.
“Border guards are the potential first and last officials that are in contact with a victim of trafficking when entering or leaving the European Union,” he said, underscoring the need for Frontex to have the authority to process personal data. “The judicial authorities as well as police depend on the first-hand information collected at the border. This is one of the reasons that the Commission proposal for a new Frontex Regulation, which is currently being negotiated in the Council Working Groups and in the European Parliament, is so important.”
Mr Laitinen went on to identify the lack of a common EU-wide definition of victims and traffickers as a key hurdle in the detection and prosecution of THB.
“We need data collection systems that provide both strategic and tactical information on THB, necessary to inform intelligence-led operations at the borders, and support investigations and prosecutions,” he said. “Cooperation of national authorities with each other and with the relevant EU level bodies, of which Frontex is just one, is absolutely key.”
With regard to the need for harmonised border-guard training in the area of THB, the Frontex executive director told the conference: “This year Frontex together with European and international partners will start the development of a special THB training module for European law-enforcement officers, with the aim of raising and harmonising standards of practice in this area. Having received the training an officer should be able to prevent and combat the crime itself, but equally importantly, to be able to deal with victims and potential victims of trafficking.”