Luxembourg Retains Tier 1 Spot in International Trafficking in Persons Report

Luxembourg has retained its place in the top Tier 1 of this year's international Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, assessing the efforts of governments in the fight against human trafficking.

Luxembourg's Minister of Justice Sam Tanson met yesterday with Casey Mace, chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg, who officially presented the evaluation report on Luxembourg.

Minister Sam Tanson and Casey Mace also discussed the 2020-21 action plan, which is drawn up on the basis of the evaluation within the framework of the TIP report and makes it possible to provide governments with guidance on the measures to be taken in order to effectively combat human trafficking.

During the meeting, Luxembourg's Justice Minister stressed: “Trafficking in human beings attacks respect for human dignity. This scourge jeopardises the moral fabric of our society and overturns ethical principles. No man, woman or child should suffer such a fate. It is our duty to prevent evil and protect the victims. We are proud that the efforts made by Luxembourg have been recognised and honoured by this international assessment".

The good collaboration of the Luxembourg government with the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg has allowed the Grand Duchy to retain its place in Tier 1 in the assessment.

The objective of the TIP is to encourage actions and create partnerships worldwide to combat trafficking in human beings. Among the 188 governments contributing to this initiative, Luxembourg has been able to consolidate its place in the Tier 1, meeting the standards relating to the elimination of human trafficking.

The Justice Ministry emphasised the efforts of the Luxembourg government in this field, namely increasing assistance resources for victims, increasing anti-trafficking training for all police officers and other actors in the field and increasing the number of field labour inspectors. The government has also strengthened international cooperation in the fight against human trafficking and adopted an action plan focused on responsible supply chains.

The Ministry of Justice also launched several initiatives in 2019 to raise awareness. On International Human Rights Day, Minister Sam Tanson and her Belgian and Dutch counterparts signed a declaration of intent for cross-border cooperation to combat human trafficking. With this declaration, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium have consolidated their common commitment for better protection of victims of trafficking in human beings.

In addition, following the 2018-23 coalition government agreement, the "Monitoring committee to combat trafficking in human beings", chaired by the Ministry of Justice, undertook to strengthen its efforts at the national and international level to combat human trafficking in all its forms. In 2019, Luxembourg and 23 European countries participated in the communication campaign of the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN) which aimed to inform (potential) victims about their rights at the European level, as well as where to find help, protection and information.

Regarding training, since 2016, the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP) has offered basic training in human trafficking, the objective of which is to inform and raise awareness among the target audience of the phenomenon of trafficking and possibility of detecting victims of trafficking. Since 2018, INAP has also integrated in-depth training on "Approach and support for victims of trafficking, worker posture and understanding of the phenomenon" as part of its training programme for state and municipal officials. Tailor-made training is also offered to all players in the field.

Moreover, a brochure for potential victims is about to be finalised. It will contain information in several languages ​​(including Arabic, Chinese, Albanian, etc.) and in the form of pictograms and will be widely distributed.

The committee is currently working on drafting a new action plan and updating the roadmap.