The website provides comprehensive information about two projects dealing with child trafficking – ARECHIVIC and CONFRONT. The first one – ARECHIVIC has already finished, while CONFRONT is still in progress. The integration of results from these projects is helpful in order to give better understanding of the issue of child trafficking within the European Union. Although, both projects` main topic was child trafficking, they approach this problem differently.
The website aims to contribute to counter-trafficking efforts by providing evidence based information on the extent of child trafficking in several EU Member states, offering in depth analysis on new trends in child trafficking and providing assessments and assessment tools on the mechanisms for child victim support, protection and reintegration. As such it supports the application of the EU Directive which prompts Member States to conduct research on new forms of trafficking and supports the implementation of the EU Strategy which calls on member states to strengthen child protection systems and ensure effective monitoring of national counter-trafficking strategies and activities.
The information and tools presented at this website are produced over the course of two EU funded initiatives – Assisting and reintegrating children victims of trafficking: promotion and evaluation of best practices in source and destination countries (ARECHIVIC) and Countering new forms of Roma children trafficking: Participatory approach (CONFRONT).
Within the ARECHIVIC initiative, six partner organizations, assessed the policy, legal and institutional framework for assistance and reintegration of child victims of trafficking in six countries – Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Slovak Republic and Sweden. Country and comparative evaluations analyzed the effectiveness of child victim’s assistance and its compatibility with fundamental rights of the child and iinternational standards for child protection. Methodologies for monitoring and evaluation of child victims support, protection and reintegration were developed and are now available for practitioners and policy makers. In addition, criteria and example of good practices in child victims support and reintegration are illustrated.
The second project – Countering new forms of Roma children trafficking: Participatory approach (CONFRONT) presents information on three specific forms of child trafficking: child begging, pickpocketing and sexual exploitation of boys. The initiative pays special attention to the vulnerability of Roma communities to these forms of trafficking and presents innovative participatory research techniques to build the capacities of Roma communities to act as equal partner in counter-trafficking policy development and implementation. The initiative will provide evidence based analysis on the extend of the three forms of child trafficking in seven countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Romania and Slovakia), the factors of vulnerability that make Roma communities at risk, the mechanisms of recruitment and exploitation of victims. In addition, recommendations based on assessments in the seven countries and piloting initiatives for improved child victims assistance in Austria and Bulgaria will help promote an enhance system of child victim support, which adequately involves the Roma communities and addresses the specific needs of Roma children victims of trafficking.
