Original Language
English
ISBN
978-92-9268-834-9
ISBN (PDF)
978-92-9268-833-2
Number of Pages
124
Reference Number
PUB2024/023/R*
Date of Publication

20 May 2024

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Access to Justice for Migrant Workers and Victims of Trafficking for Labour Exploitation: A Toolkit for Practitioners and Policymakers in the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

This toolkit builds on the outcomes of two international exchanges on access to justice for migrant workers and victims of trafficking for labour exploitation and on an additional round of internal consultations, consolidated with IOM best practices and additional research inputs. Various relevant stakeholders from different European countries participated in the workshop, including law enforcement authorities, prosecutors, labour inspectors, trade union representatives, international organizations and civil society organizations, among others. 

Produced under the framework of the MiRAC-funded project Enhancing IOM’s Protection Capacity in the EEA+ Region to Protect the Rights of Migrants Subject to Labour Exploitation, this document serves as a practical guidance tool for addressing the needs of migrant workers and victims of trafficking for labour exploitation in the European Union, as well as in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It was specifically developed to support national authorities, in particular, relevant labour, immigration, prosecution and counter-trafficking agencies, as well as other relevant stakeholders, such as civil society organizations and trade unions, to provide the tools needed to effectively support and empower migrant workers and victims of trafficking for labour exploitation.

  • FOREWORD 
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
  • ACRONYMS 
  • WELCOME 
  • PART I. CONTEXT: SETTING THE SCENE 
  • 1. KEY TERMS 
    • 1.1 ARE YOU A POLICYMAKER? 
    • 1.2 ARE YOU A PRACTITIONER? 
    • 1.3 OTHER KEY TERMS 
      • 1.3.1 Migrant 
      • 1.3.2 Migrant worker 
      • 1.3.3 Exploitation 
      • 1.3.4 Forced or compulsory labour 
      • 1.3.5 Trafficking in persons or trafficking in human beings 
      • 1.3.6 Victim of trafficking in human beings 
      • 1.3.7 Access to justice 
  • 2. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK 
    • 2.1 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK 
      • 2.1.1 International guidelines and commitments 
    • 2.2 EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK 
      • 2.2.1 European Union 
      • 2.2.2 Council of Europe 
  • PART II. TO ACT 
  • 3. PREVENTION 
    • 3.1 INTRODUCTION 
    • 3.2 OBSTACLES 
    • 3.3 RIGHTS 
      • 3.3.1 Right to fair and just working conditions 
      • 3.3.2 Right of access to information 
      • 3.3.3 Right to an effective remedy 
      • 3.3.4 Non-punishment principle 
  • 4. PROTECTION 
    • 4.1 INTRODUCTION 
    • 4.2 OBSTACLES 
    • 4.3 RIGHTS 
      • 4.3.1 Victim identification 
      • 4.3.2 Right to access victim support services 
      • 4.3.3 Right to protection during investigations and court proceedings 
  • 5. PROSECUTION 
    • 5.1 INTRODUCTION 
    • 5.2 OBSTACLES 
    • 5.3 RIGHTS 
      • 5.3.1 Right to be heard 
      • 5.3.2 Rights in the event of a decision not to prosecute 
      • 5.3.3 Right to safeguards in the context of restorative justice services 
      • 5.3.4 Right to legal aid 
      • 5.3.5 Right to an effective remedy and right to compensation 
  • 6. CONCLUSION 
  • 7. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 
  • 8. REFERENCES