| Field | Human trafficking |
| Country | France |
| City | Marseille |
| Beneficiaries | Victims of human trafficking |
| Number of beneficiaries | Between 20 and 50 |
Human trafficking constitutes an unacceptable violation of human rights. Exploitation can take on various forms: bonded labour, domestic slavery, forced marriage, forced beggary, etc. The trade in human beings is illegal under international and French law. Yet, numerous cases of modern slavery can still be found in France. Since its inception in 2001, 600 such cases have been reported to Esclavage Tolérance Zéro (ETZ).
Victims are primarily of foreign origin and undocumented immigrants. Most are young women, unaware of French laws and of the rights to which they are entitled.
ETZ offices are located in Marseille, as the city is an easy gateway for human trafficking from countries around the Mediterranean basin. The association however handles cases from other regions as well (PACA, Languedoc-Roussillon and others) since very few organisations exist in France dedicated to this specific issue.
A victim of human trafficking is a person who has been deprived of freedom and lived an experience of extreme violence, as an object of exploitation, enslavement and physical abuse. Such victims, often of foreign origin, are fragilised by a situation of broken relations with their family and cultural environment, and generally live in great isolation.
ETZ detects and assist victims of modern slavery to help them rebuild their life and reintegrate society, and prosecutes their exploiters.
ETZ provides psychological, social and medical care to victims of modern slavery:
- Active search for victims
- Emergency shelter provided to any person found and clarification of their situation
- Guidance and referral of persons not meeting the slavery criteria
- Psychological follow-up of victims incorporated into the project
- Provision of housing (emergency home or foster families)
- Provision of a monthly stipend, clothes, transportation
- Medical care
- Legal aid (filing of complaints to criminal courts and Prud’hommes arbitration court)
- Regularisation of administrative status with local and State police and immigration authorities
In addition, the organisation fights actively against such exploitation practices:
- via public awareness and information initiatives: press conferences, radio talk shows, presentations in companies and schools, etc.
- via judiciary, legislative and regulatory initiatives: creation of a multi-stakeholder commission, annual forum on modern slavery issues, symposia on slavery and human rights...
ETZ also forms and coordinates a number of support and intervention networks in cooperation with the authorities in the victims’ home countries: information to institutional partners (police forces, social workers, other NGOs...)
At its 9 June 2010 meeting, the Selection Committee decided to support the project of ETZ with a €20,000 grant. This amount covers part of the association functionning costs.
- All victims contacted or reported receive shelter and their situation is clarified (around 100 reports every year).
- Beneficiaries identified as victims of modern slavery receive multiple forms of support (about ten new cases each year with an average follow-up period of 3 years, i.e. 30 ongoing direct beneficiaries). ETZ would like to double this number by intensifying their awareness and information activities.
- The expertise and skills of the professionals in contact with human trafficking are pooled and shared: participation in 3 seminars on human rights, forum organised in Marseille about trafficking issues, implementation of a standing commission of professionals dealing with human trafficking issues.
- The partners and the public are informed about modern slavery and possible actions against it.
