In the first week of December 2017, the AIRE Centre took part in the EU NGO Anti Trafficking Platform meeting, which took place in Brussels, organised by the EU Anti Trafficking Coordinator’s Office, Dr. Myria Vassiliadou. The NGO Platform meeting brought together over 100 civil society organisations from all over Europe working on trafficking as a form of gender based violence. The Platform serves as a forum for civil society organisations working at European, national and local levels, in the field of human rights, children’s rights, women’s rights and gender equality, migrants’ rights and shelters to exchange experiences and concrete ideas on how to best assist victims, expand their networks, and prevent others from falling victims to this crime. This particular meeting was addressed by EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos who highlighted, inter alia, the fact that over 60% of registered by EU Member States victims of human trafficking are of EU Member State origin, an issue also witnessed by the legal advice provision service of our organisation. AIRE Centre Legal Project Manager and Registered European Lawyer Markella Papadouli contributed to the sessions and workshops raising selected issues from UK practice.
