Kiri

MATRIX: Multiagency Approach to Trafficking Recognition and Identification for labour Exploitation

Project proposal in response to “Call for proposals on assistance, support and integration of third country

national victims of trafficking in human beings” (AMIF-2024-TF2-AG-THB)

- DG HOME - European Commission -

Application closure: 30 July 2024

CONCEPT NOTE The EU Strategy on combatting trafficking in human beings (2021-2025)5 emphasises that third-country

national victims of trafficking face additional difficulties, including barriers to identification. The situation of

the victims requires specific consideration, as victims can become accessible to traffickers and be exposed to

risks of being re-trafficked. This call aims at strengthening the actions of relevant stakeholders in the context of the

implementation of the revised Anti-trafficking Directive6 and the Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings

2021-2025, in particular, in relation to victims.

The project MATRIX is expected to contribute to enhanced identification and referral of third-country

nationals victims of trafficking in human beings in the partner countries. MATRIX also aims at contributing to

prevent trafficking connected to labour exploitation of third-country nationals by raising the awareness of

TCNs – both in the reception countries and in their origin countries – on the hidden dynamics of trafficking

(such as fake job offers and the risks of labour exploitation) and the demand that fosters trafficking in human

beings for the purpose of labour exploitation. In particular, MATRIX will address male TCNs who have been

or are at risk of being, victims of trafficking for labour exploitation.

Such objective is in line with the current trends of trafficking (EC Report on trafficking 2024) which reports

an increase in the number of detected victims of trafficking for labour exploitation (41%) so as to equal the

number of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation (41%).

- The European Commission welcomes proposals that include cooperation with, and involvement

Local and regional authorities, law enforcement, labour inspectorates, civil society organisations and social

partners will be involved in the project activities so as to promote multi-agency cooperation, strengthen

dissemination, and ensure the sustainability of project results beyond project closure.

Built on the above premises, MATRIX specific objective are to:

 Build the overall capacities to enhance the identification and referral of TCN victims of trafficking for

labour exploitation in the partner countries;

 Strengthen multi-agency cooperation at local/regional level;

 Promote practice exchange and mutual learning at local/regional and transnational level;

 Raise the awareness of public bodies, NGOs, third-country nationals and the general public, on trafficking

in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation and related risks

Methodology: MATRIX will adopt a qualitative comprehensive, victim-centred, human rights-based approach

and will pay specific attention to the online aspect of trafficking so as to contribute to counter the recruitment

and exploitation of victims by carrying out online awareness-raising and dissemination activities aimed at

providing counter-narrative information to third-country nationals at risk of being trafficked.

PROJECT DURATION:

Project duration will be 24 months. Estimated project start is January 2025.

PARTNERSHIP:

 CONFIRMED PARTNERS:

 Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands – CJD (Germany) - COORDINATOR

 Psychoanalytic Institute for Social Research - IPRS (Italy)

 LULE (Italy)

 Catholic University of Porto – UCP (Portugal)

 University of Tartu (Estonia)

 University of Timisoara (Romania)

 ADPARE (Romania)

 National NGO on Trafficking (Portugal) - TBC

 ASSOCIATE PARTNERS TO BE CONFIRMED:

 2 Municipalities in Northern Italy

 Labour Inspectorate, Northern Italy

 High Commission on Gender and Citizenship, Romania

 National Agency in charge of Trafficking, Portugal

 Minister of Social Affairs, Estonia

 Minister of Social Affairs, Schlesswig Holstein, Germany

 VICTIMS ADVISORY PANEL:

Victims of trafficking will be actively involved in the project design and implementation and a Transnational

Victims Advisory Panel (VAP) will be established in order to ensure that the Victims’ perspective is taken into

prior account. The VAP will meet regularly with all project partners and will have the following functions:

monitor the project progress, revise the project outputs, and provide consultancy on specific activities. One

representative of the VAP will participate in all partners’ meetings.

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES:

 Assessment of critical issues in the selected areas of intervention (individual and group interviews; SWOT

analysis) – LOCAL/REGIONAL

 Establishment of a project Victims' Advisory Panel (enabling victims or ex-victims to have a say in the

project implementation) – TRANSNATIONAL

 Training of practitioners (Public bodies, e.g., local authorities, ministries, law enforcement, reception

centres for asylum seekers and refugees) - LOCAL/REGIONAL

 Multi-agency cooperation and awareness raising (including the above agencies jointly with employment

agencies and sectoral labour agencies e.g., agriculture, building, other) - LOCAL/REGIONAL

 Modelling of procedures for the DETECTION (Identification and referral) of victims of trafficking –

LOCAL/REGIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL

 Strengthening of anti-trafficking platforms – LOCAL/REGIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL

 Transnational exchange: Summer school (4 days) to promote transnational mutual learning and exchange

of experiences and best practices among relevant actors from partner countries (2-3 experts/participants

from each partner country, e.g., law enforcement, judiciary, migration and asylum authorities, social

workers, labour inspectors, civil society organisations, other services…) – TRANSNATIONAL

 National Awareness-raising and dissemination (video-pills with testimonies, multi-lingual booklet, public

seminars, theatre installation). It will target, in addition to public and private practitioners working with

TCNs: Third-country nationals, both in the reception centers and in their origin countries and the general

public, in particular young people; students and academics; journalists; local and regional authorities and

policy-makers - LOCAL/REGIONAL/NATIONAL

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

 Country reports of state-of-the-art (qualitative)

 Practitioners of public bodies’ and NGOs (including reception centers, law enforcement, social services

etc) have enhanced their knowledge on trafficking and are more capable to identify potential victims as

well as refer victims of trafficking for labour exploitation

 Third Country Nationals (TCN) are sensitized over the risks of being trafficked for labour exploitation

through a) face-to-face awareness-raising events (e.g., in reception centers); and b) through social media

(eg., making of a video) in order to ensure to reach out to TCNs still in their origin countries

 Main public agencies related to trafficking for purpose of labour exploitation sensitized and cooperation

among them strengthened through practice exchange and mutual learning

 Anti-trafficking platforms focused on men’s labour exploitation strengthened at regional, national and

EU levels; transnational platform created based on lesson learnts from the existing ones.

 Improved awareness over the risks connected to trafficking for labour exploitation of the following target

groups:

 victims of trafficking for labour purposes (TCN);

 employment agencies and sectoral labour agencies/mediators;

 public bodies at local/regional levels and their practitioners (including law enforcement,

migration and asylum authorities and reception centres, social workers, labour inspectors)

 civil society organisations including ethnic associations

 the general public and particularly the young

To: University of Tartu, Anna Markina

Project Coordinator

MATRIX project proposal

Tallinn, Estonia 01.08.2024

Subject: Declaration of support to the project “MATRIX: Multiagency Approach to Trafficking Recognition and Identification for labour Exploitation”

I, the undersigned, on behalf of (Social Insurance Board (Estonia), confirm our willingness to support you in the implementation of the project “MATRIX: Multiagency Approach to Trafficking Recognition and Identification for labour Exploitation” submitted by the Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands (CJD) under the AMIF Programme of the European Commission – “Call for proposals on assistance, support and integration of third country national victims of trafficking in human beings” (AMIF-2024-TF2-AG-THB).

I find the proposed project most interesting and of relevance for (Social Insurance Board (Estonia), in light of the challenges posed by the third-country national victims of trafficking of human beings in our Region and country, particularly in regards to labour exploitation. The proposed project responds to the urgency to combat trafficking for labour exploitation and in particular, to enhance the system’s process of identification and referral of victims as well as prevent third-country nationals of becoming victims – all of which is to be considered as a priority for our organization in the framework of trafficking prevention and fight.

I believe that the activities foreseen by MATRIX project – in particular, the training of practitioners and the strengthening of multi-agency cooperation - will efficiently contribute to enhance the detection of victims of trafficking for labour exploitation in our Region and country while also contributing to enhance the awareness of public agencies working with third-country nationals, as well as of third-country-nationals themselves - on the demand and the hidden dynamics of trafficking, so as to increase the prevention of trafficking for labour exploitation.

With these premises, I declare that support from the (Social Insurance Board (Estonia) will be provided in the following:

 Facilitate contacts within our institution/organization;

 Participate in some of the local/regional project events, such as multi-agency cooperation meetings; and participate in transnational exchange meetings upon the Coordinator’s request;

 Contribute to disseminating the project findings and key outputs through our institutional channels, networks, and events

It is my understanding that our participation in the project activities and events will not entail any costs for us. Yours sincerely,

Sirle Blumberg

Head of Human Trafficking Service Psychosocial Support Unit Victim Support and Prevention Services Department Social Insurance Board