18 October – EU Anti-Trafficking Day

The MDS TZL dedicated this year’s EU Anti-Trafficking Day to raising awareness on trafficking in human beings for the purpose of forced labour and labour exploitation. To this end, it organised an awareness-raising campaign, financed by the MNZ and the Government Communication Office and carried out by the DrogArt association, Iz principa social enterprise. Between 18 and 20 October, the project worked to raise awareness among the general public and vulnerable groups with the help of live "products" (exploited workers) in sales packaging (catalogue), exhibited on the main pedestrian streets in Maribor and Ljubljana. In order to raise awareness of trafficking in human beings among employers, an e-catalogue containing various profiles of the most frequently exploited workers was sent to more than 200 companies in Slovenia, along with the Manual for Employers.

 To present the project and mark EU Anti-Trafficking Day, a media event was held on 18 October, attended by the National Coordinator and representatives of the IRSD, the Labour Counselling Service and the Ključ Society.

Raising awareness of the general public

In 2023, the MDS TZL continued to raise awareness among the general public and the media on the issue of trafficking in human beings. The subject was most widely covered on EU Anti-Trafficking Day and World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and upon the publication of GRETA’s third report on Slovenia regarding the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the MNZ issued a press release on its website and social media about the UN campaign "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind", which focused on helping victims of human trafficking.

In its press release, the MNZ called attention to the particular vulnerability of children, women, migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons to trafficking in human beings. The risk of trafficking is heightened by global crises, armed conflicts, pandemics, economic and social instability, and natural disasters. The MNZ highlighted that victims of trafficking in Slovenia receive comprehensive assistance and support as part of victim assistance programmes provided by NGOs and humanitarian organisations selected in a public tender.

Awareness raising among risk groups

Raising the awareness of adolescents

In accordance with the 2023–2024 Action Plan for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the MNZ SPBTL continued to carry out systematic workshops aimed at raising awareness among children and young people of the dangers of trafficking, forms of trafficking, and appropriate action and self-protective behaviour. Based on a three-year plan, divided by region, the 2022/2023 workshops were carried out in primary schools in the Central Slovenia, Gorenjska, Goriška and Zasavska regions and secondary schools in the Podravska, Savinjska, Koroška and Pomurska regions. In 2023/2024, awareness-raising was organised in primary schools in the Notranjska, Obalno-kraška, Posavska and South-eastern Slovenia regions and secondary schools in the Zasavska, Goriška, Gorenjska and Central Slovenia regions.

280 workshops were carried out in 2023 (140 in 2022), i.e. 146 in primary and 134 in secondary schools, attended by 5,267 students and 304 teachers. The analysis of surveys completed by the students at the end of the workshops showed that the aim of the awareness-raising was achieved, as nearly all participating students acquired new information (98%) enabling most of them (71%) to identify trafficking in human beings.

The Ključ Society carried out several workshops for the MOL to raise awareness among young people (students), namely "Ključna šola za fante in dekleta" (Key School for Boys and Girls), "Prava zveza" (A Real Relationship), "Telesnica" (Body Workshop) and "Ključno za Lajf" (Key for Life). It organised a total of 122 events attended by 2,377 people. The "Prava zveza" training workshops for young professionals, organised by the Zaznavnica project and the FIHO, included 32 events attended by 745 participants. A project aimed at providing information for vulnerable groups in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (hereinafter: the UNHCR) comprised 871 events attended by 3,545 people.

Within the contract on co-financing the "Providing assistance to victims of human trafficking – Crisis accommodation" project, Caritas Slovenia held 25 preventive workshops, attended by 547 students (as well as teachers and parents) from six statistical regions (Gorenjska, Posavska, Savinjska, Obalno-kraška, Central Slovenia and Zasavska). At schools and on all other occasions (meetings, trainings, social events, etc.), students and counselling services were provided with prevention materials on the dangers and traps of trafficking in human beings. The infographics developed in December 2022, warning of the dangers and traps of trafficking, was also displayed and published on the Caritas Slovenia website and Facebook profile.

Preventive action in terms of awareness-raising and the prevention of trafficking in human beings in the Roma community 

The Government Office for National Minorities (hereinafter: ONM) continued to strengthen its multidisciplinary approach to address harmful practices in the Roma community, such as the running away of minors to harmful environments (early marriage) and forced marriages. 

Four specialised trainings were carried out in 2023 on the identification of early and forced marriages in the Roma community and on interventions in these cases. In total, four trainings were attended by 25 representatives of social work centres, 33 school representatives, 23 Police representatives, one representative of the judiciary, four representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, ten NGO representatives, one healthcare representative, and six representatives of other organisations or institutions (i.e. people’s university representatives, journalists, etc.). 

Raising awareness among and training of the professional community

In 2023, the National Working Group on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings provided for regular trainings of professionals dealing with the issue of trafficking in human beings (law enforcement authorities) and awareness-raising among experts who may encounter this phenomenon in their work (social and educational staff, etc.).

The Criminal Police Directorate at the General Police Directorate (hereinafter: the GPU UKP) continuously trains both criminal investigators and local police officers. In this context, attention is paid to identifying various forms of trafficking in human beings and identifying the indicators of potential victims of trafficking and its perpetrators and to competencies in subsequent specific procedures concerning the treatment of victims and conduct of pre-trial proceedings.

Between 13 and 15 June 2023, training courses were provided to criminal investigators from regional criminal police divisions who investigate crimes of trafficking in human beings. The programme was attended by 90 people, mostly criminal investigators from regional criminal police divisions and the GPU UKP, along with prosecutors from the Specialised State Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter: the Specialised State Prosecutor's Office), employees of the MNZ SPBTL, representatives of NGOs, and representatives of the security authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Granična policija) and the Dutch Police.

The GPU UKP carried out five trainings of police officers and police station chiefs. The purpose of the training was to raise awareness among police officers about the issue of trafficking in human beings, to identify indicators of trafficking and to familiarise them with the procedures relating to identifying victims. During the training, police officers also learned about the importance of police cooperation with civil society in carrying out procedures involving victims of human trafficking and assistance and protection programmes. The training was attended by 120 police officers from all police directorates.

The GPU UKP and criminal police divisions also participated in trainings on the consideration of applications for international protection alongside legal representatives for unaccompanied minors.

The Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants (hereinafter: the UOIM) continued regular trainings of social workers and professionals on various forms of violence, vulnerability and trafficking in human beings.

On 30 November 2023, the MNZ SPBTL organised a training session on trafficking in human beings for FURS employees. The participants learned about the current trafficking trends and legislative changes, with an emphasis on identifying forced labour or labour exploitation. The training was attended by 49 FURS employees.

IRSD inspectors attended a training in Kranjska Gora between 13 and 14 June 2023. The inspectors also learned about labour exploitation and forced labour as one of the purposes of trafficking in human beings. Fifty inspectors took part in the training.

On 13 September 2023 at Jable Castle in Loka pri Mengšu, a training on trafficking in human beings was organised for members of the Slovenian Armed Forces and employees of the Ministry of Defence. The participants obtained the latest information and learned about their duties when identifying these criminal offences and the importance of reducing demand for services and goods provided by victims of trafficking exploited for these purposes. The training was attended by 20 employees, who will pass on the acquired knowledge to their co-workers within their organisation.

On 28 September 2023, the MNZ SPBTL organised a training on trafficking in human beings, with a focus on identifying forced marriages, aimed at administrative unit employees, particularly registrars, who may encounter this issue when conducting marriage ceremonies. The training was held via video conference and included police and UN representatives. An MNZ SPBTL representative presented the issue of trafficking and its main forms and laid out the forms of assistance provided in Slovenia to victims of trafficking and the contacts of competent institutions. A GPU UKP representative presented the indicators for identifying victims of trafficking and the key Police findings regarding forced marriages in Slovenia, while a UN representative presented the Handbook on the Identification of Early and Forced Marriages in the Roma Community and on Interventions in These Cases. The training was attended by more than 170 administrative unit employees.

On 5 October 2023, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs held a consular consultation on the topic of trafficking in human beings for 60 employees working in diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Slovenia.

On 20 October 2023 in Brdo pri Kranju, marking the 20th anniversary of the MDS TZL, the MNZ SPBTL organised a large expert meeting on the topic of trafficking in human beings. The aim of the meeting was to provide the relevant experts (including judges and state prosecutors) with current information on the fight against trafficking at the international level and to exchange views on key challenges facing Slovenia. The discussion focused on various reports and recommendations of international monitoring mechanisms, current EU legislation proposals and the latest amendments to internal legislation in the field. One of the guests attending the meeting was ECHR Judge Davor Derenčinović. The event was attended by 54 representatives of numerous state institutions and civil society.

On 23 November 2023, the Social Chamber of Slovenia conducted a seminar for professional workers and professional assistants of social work centres on working with foreigners, refugees, migrants and victims of trafficking in human beings within the Programme for exercising the public authority of the Social Chamber of Slovenia for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, which is financed by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (hereinafter: the MDDSZ). The first part of the seminar focused on challenges and examples of good practice in working with foreigners, refugees and other people of migrant background. In the second part, the Ključ Society presented the systemic regulation of the field of combating trafficking in Slovenia and assistance schemes for people who have experienced trafficking. Various forms of exploitation of children as victims of trafficking were treated separately. The training concluded with an interactive workshop, where participants were presented with a case study and looked for solutions to open questions relating to the powers of social work centres. Fifty-one participants attended the seminar.

As part of preventive activities under Section 2.2.1, the MNZ SPBTL carried out an awareness-raising campaign for 304 school teachers.

In 2023, the Ključ Society provided 35 training sessions for professionals, which were attended by 517 persons.