European Network on Statelessness welcomes the opportunity to contribute evidence to inform the forthcoming update to the EU Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.
Our submission responds to the call for evidence on the challenges and possible measures needed to prevent trafficking in human beings, protect victims, improve investigations, and strengthen cooperation at EU and international level. It focuses on the critical but often overlooked role of statelessness, on the one hand as a root cause of trafficking and, on the other, as a key protection concern increasing vulnerability among some victims of trafficking and therefore requiring a response.
We strongly recommend that statelessness is addressed both from a prevention perspective and a protection perspective in the new strategy, to ensure the specific rights and needs of victims who may be affected by statelessness are addressed, and to prevent future cases of statelessness arising from situations of trafficking.
