Free2Link

Everything professionals need to know about e-trafficking

BACKGROUND

The use of internet and digital technologies has significantly increased in the past months marked by COVID-19, with significant changes in our lives. At the same time, two-thirds of frontline trafficking workers have reported an increase in online recruitment by traffickers for the purposes of sexual exploitation online according to the relevant UN Women Guidance.

Despite being on the rise, e-trafficking remains poorly understood and addressed in the receiving countries and there are no effective mechanisms to help professionals understand online recruitment and online exploitation patterns.

Building knowledge on early identification of victims to equip frontline professionals with the tools they need is the first, important step in this fight.

Like in any other crisis, this is also true of violence against women and girls –

prevention is better than cure.

WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE

Free2Link is a project funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) of the European Commission. Free2Link aims at connecting organisations working in asylum systems, integration programmes and support to victims of trafficking across Italy and Greece to increase the ability of their frontline staff, as well as public and private networks, in the early identification of victims of e-trafficking.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS

Joining forces, thanks to a solid multi-stakeholder network with civil society and public authorities, to elaborate and disseminate knowledge on e-trafficking

Creating an online easy-to-use multi-language, multi-user accessible platform on early identification of victims of e-trafficking and e-recruitment

Training frontline staff working in NGOs, local authorities, public and private actors through face-to-face courses and e-learning online modules

Raising awareness on e-trafficking in Italy, Poland and Greece amongst general public, local actors, European stakeholders, other countries

5 partners
3 EU countries ( )
1 Research on frontline operation knowledge on e-trafficking
160 operators trained
1 Advocacy Toolkit on e-trafficking
1 Transnational Conference

This website was funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship program 2014-2020.
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