The European Commission is turning to technology, employers and financial investigations in a new strategy against human trafficking, as recorded victim numbers rise.
Announced on October 16, the strategy accompanies a progress report covering 2023 and 2024. More than 20,000 victims were registered in those years, a 16.1 per cent increase over the previous two-year period. Recorded cases measure identified victims, not the full scale of trafficking.
The Commission plans a European business coalition against trafficking and closer cooperation between labour inspectors. It also wants investigators to follow criminal proceeds, recover assets and strengthen cross-border intelligence work.
Other measures address exploitation along migration routes and during crises, alongside victim support and protection. The Commission says online platforms and artificial intelligence are changing how traffickers mislead people.
The strategy is a policy programme, not a new criminal statute. It sits alongside the revised Anti-Trafficking Directive that entered into force in 2024, and will be discussed by the European Parliament and Council.
Implementation will involve national coordinators, EU agencies and civil-society organisations. The announced goals still have to become operational measures.
