In its third report on Cyprus, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) analyses trafficking victims’ access to justice and effective remedies and examines progress in the implementation of previous GRETA recommendations. The report acknowledges that in recent years Cyprus has taken some positive steps to improve its legislation and policies to combat trafficking in human beings. In 2019, amendments were made to the anti-trafficking legislation, increasing significantly the penalties for human trafficking and criminalising the use of sexual services of victims of trafficking. The Multidisciplinary Co-ordinating Group adopted a new National Action Plan against human trafficking for 2019-2021. Further, a National Referral Mechanism for the identification and referral to assistance of victims of trafficking was established in 2016. However, GRETA is concerned that during the period under review (2015-2019), no legal aid has been provided to trafficking victims, and only two applications for legal aid for the purpose of claiming compensation have been approved by the Attorney General’s Office. There are no examples of compensation granted by decision of a criminal court judge in human trafficking cases. Furthermore, the setting up of the victim support fund, which can be used to compensate victims of trafficking, has been delayed, and no victim of trafficking has so far received state compensation in Cyprus. GRETA therefore calls on the Cypriot authorities to ensure that victims receive specialised legal assistance and free legal aid at an early stage of criminal proceedings, and to set up a victim support fund as a priority. GRETA further urges the authorities to facilitate and guarantee access to compensation from perpetrators, including by collecting evidence about the harm the victim has suffered and the financial gain from the exploitation, as part of criminal investigations.

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

wp_template

wp_template_part

wp_global_styles

wp_navigation

wp_font_family

wp_font_face

acf-taxonomy

acf-post-type

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

exactmetrics_note

Underground Lives: Forgotten Children- the Intergenerational Impact of Modern Slavery
News & AnalysisGuidancePublications

Thousands of children affected by modern slavery are being failed by the system. There are at least 5,000 children of modern slavery victims in the UK and the majority are not getting the support they need, with many more potentially lost in the ...Read More

TAGS: Europe
Global Modern Slavery Directory (GMSD) Digital Media Toolkit 2021
Online ToolsGuidancePublications

This digital media kit is meant to provide you with the tools and information you need to reach out to and engage with your supporters about the Global Modern Slavery Directory (GMSD). French version- Ce kit média numérique est destiné à vous...Read More

TAGS: Global
Guía para una minería libre de trabajo infantil
Guidance

Esta guía contiene información relacionada con los derechos de los niños, niñas, adolescentes y sus familias; el fenómeno del trabajo infantil en Colombia y, de manera particular, en la minería. También presenta la ruta de reporte del trab...Read More

Human Trafficking: What Disaster Responders Need to Know
GuidanceGraphics & Infographics

Studies have shown that even outside of a disaster context, approximately 50% of individuals who have been trafficked saw a health professional while being trafficked. However, first responders are rarely trained to recognize these patients, despite...Read More