Activities of Gérard DEPREZ related to 2015/2340(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The fight against trafficking in human beings in the EU's external relations (A8-0205/2016 - Barbara Lochbihler) FR
Amendments (13)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A (new)
Recital A (new)
A. Whereas illegal migration flows increase the risks of trafficking since irregular migrants - by virtue of their vulnerability and clandestinity - are particularly at risk of being trafficked; whereas, among these migrants, unaccompanied minors - who account for a large share of the migrants arriving in Europe - are a target group for trafficking networks; whereas, according to Europol, 10 000 of them have already disappeared;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
B. Whereas, according to Europol, the spread of internet access throughout the world allows trafficking to flourish more in the online environment; whereas this brings new forms of recruitment and exploitation of victims;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital C (new)
Recital C (new)
C. Whereas there is a link between the trafficking in migrants and trafficking in human beings; whereas people-trafficking networks rely, inter alia, on the internet to advertise their services to potential migrants;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital D (new)
Recital D (new)
D. Whereas cooperation between Member States, Europol and the countries of origin and transit of trafficking victims is an essential tool in the fight against trafficking networks;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists on the need for the EU to enhance police and judicial cooperation between Member States and with third countries, in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking in human beings (THB)particular the countries of origin and transit of the victims of trafficking in human beings (THB), in the investigation and prosecution of THB, in particular via Europol and Eurojust, including information sharing, participation in Joint Investigation Teams and in combating recruitment of people for THB through the internet and other digital means; stresses the importance of the systematic exchange of data by Member States and their input into Europol's databases Focal Point Phoenix and Focal Point Twins;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that trafficking victims from third countries must be detected at the earliest possible stage in the network and that greater efforts must therefore be made at the borders to detect victims as they enter the EU; Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that law enforcement personnel, including agencies such as Frontex, are provided with adequate training in THB, with an emphasis on the special needs of trafficked women, children and other vulnerable groups and on how to provide incentives and adequate protection for victims of THB and for others to report traffickers; emphasises in this regard the importance of exchanges of best practices between the authorities of Member States in particular regarding the conduct of interviews at borders in the context of both legal migration (customs officers) and irregular migration (hotspots in particular); stresses also the need for border guards and coastguards to have access to Europol's databases;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to assess the need to review the mandate of the future European Public Prosecutor’s Office to include powers, once established, to tackle human trafficking;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Takes the view that trafficking victims have an essential role to play as witnesses in dismantling networks; stresses the importance of ensuring the effective protection of victims so that they can testify safely;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls that before concluding a visa liberalization agreement, the Commission assesses the risks posed by the third country concerned particularly with regard to illegal immigration; emphasises that the trafficking networks may also use legal channels for migration; asks the Commission therefore to include the effective cooperation of the relevant third countries with regard to trafficking among the criteria to be met for any visa liberalization agreement;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the use of internet in the context of human trafficking, particularly as regards online sexual exploitation; requests that the fight against online trafficking be enhanced by Europol within the framework of the EU IRU (Internet Referral Unit) to detect, report and remove online material on trafficking;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Asks the Commission to adjust its cooperation with third countries to the new development of trafficking via the Internet; calls on the Commission and Europol to consider the possibilities of cooperation between the European anti- cybercrime bodies (especially in the framework of Europol) and those of third countries; requests also the Commission to consider all useful means of cooperation with Internet service providers to detect and combat trafficking-related online content; requests the Commission to keep Parliament duly informed;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Stresses that forced marriage can be seen as a form of trafficking in human beings if it contains an element of exploitation of the victim, and calls on all Member States to include this dimension; stresses that exploitation may be sexual (marital rape, forced prostitution and pornography) or economic (domestic work and forced begging), and that the ultimate aim of trafficking can be forced marriage (selling a victim as a spouse or entering a marriage under duress); recalls the potential transnational character of forced marriage; calls therefore on Member States to ensure that the national authorities in charge of migration are adequately trained in the issue of forced marriage in the context of trafficking; calls on the Commission also to strengthen the exchange of best practices in this regard;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e Commends the work of Europol, in particular through the Focal Point Twins to detect people travelling to third countries in order to commit child abuse; calls on Member States to cooperate with Europol by ensuring a systematic and rapid exchange of data;