EU faces tough battles on the scourge of human trafficking

UP to half a million women and children are trafficked into the EU each year, mainly to work in the sex industry.

Much of it is slavery to earn money for criminals. The industry in human trafficking is now so lucrative that Europol estimates organised crime finds it more profitable than even drugs.

While huge sums of money and big chunks of state time and resources are put into fighting the drugs business, very little so far has been dedicated to fighting the modern slave trade that devastates people's lives.

The leaders of the EU member states decided a number of years ago to cooperate in fighting organised crime.

These decisions are being rapidly implemented perhaps quicker than any other major policy decisions reached by the member states. The result has been some of the most far-reaching co-operation agreements ever among member states, from swapping information to arrest warrants allowing fast track extradition from one country to another on a range of crimes. They were given a boost by the need for closer co-operation on fighting organised crime following the attacks of September 11.

But at least as big an incentive was what the leaders saw as the rise of right-wing parties throughout Europe particularly in France, Holland and Denmark with an anti-immigration agenda.

Anxious as ever to respond to public fears and to what could be a threat to their elected positions, the member state ministers quickly agreed to act.

The hysteria over illegal immigration reached a crescendo at the Seville summit of EU leaders earlier this year when some member states wanted to link trade and aid agreements to force third world countries to stem the tide of immigration. In some cases this would mean countries taking back immigrants who were not their own nationals but who may have transited their land.

The opposition, led by Sweden and Finland, resulted in this being watered down though the leaders failed to tackle the need for legal immigration structures. As a result there has been little differentiation between criminal trafficking, economic migrants and illegal immigration.

This has led to claims that controls at the EU's external borders are really about keeping people out.

In an attempt to balance this need and ensure the issue of human rights is not buried by the need for politicians to look after the next election, a two-day conference is being held in Brussels this week.

It is the largest ever event focusing on counter-trafficking and has been organised by the European Commission, the European Parliament and the International Organisation for Migration, and will have 1,000 participants.

As well as encouraging countries to co-operate on successfully fighting the crime of trafficking they hope to focus on assisting the victims. They will look at such issues as offering protection to victims who give evidence against their captors. At present three countries offer temporary residence to those who co-operate but a way needs to be found that ensures bone fide victims are given protection, such as permanent residence, while discouraging a deluge of spurious claims.

The trade in human beings is growing rapidly according to international agencies and is taking new forms.

The conference will be told of children, particularly those with handicaps, being transported to western countries where they are forced to beg. There is also a growing trade in women as domestic slaves and those forced to marry against their will.

While some of these forms of slavery are an extension of cultural norms in some countries, this is not the case for the estimated 100,000 that are trafficked into the EU each year from the Central and Eastern European countries, Russia and other CIS members.

What happens to the industry when many of these countries become part of the EU as expected in the next two years has not been addressed yet.

If the leaders of the EU members agree to really tackle the issue it will be a long battle that will not be solved by treating the matter as one of enforcing tough laws.