Often compared to modern slavery, trafficking in human beings destroys individuals’ lives by depriving people of their dignity, their freedom, and their rights. Yet trafficking in human beings remains a largely hidden crime. In the EU, more than 20,000 victims were registered in 2023–2024, while many more remain invisible. Trafficking is a serious threat to security, closely linked to organised crime and generating enormous profits, with low risks for criminals. It affects women, men, and children in a wide range of sectors and takes different forms; including sexual and labour exploitation, forced criminality, and forced begging. It requires a comprehensive approach from prevention to prosecution of traffickers, while protecting the victims and working closely with partners from the private sector and non-EU countries.

Against this backdrop, the IIEA will host a keynote address by the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Diane Schmitt, offering insights into the latest trends, challenges, and action needed, as well as an opportunity to exchange views on this pressing issue. Moreover, this discussion fits into in the Irish Presidency’s priorities to deliver on European competitiveness, values, and security, in addition to occurring at a particularly timely moment, as the EU will have a renewed EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings before end of 2026.

Combatting trafficking in human beings requires a comprehensive approach to prevent the crime, protect the victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Diane Schmitt was appointed EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator in July 2021 to contribute to this approach, improve coordination and coherence among EU institutions, EU agencies and Member States, cooperate with international actors and support the implementation and development of EU policies in this area. This appointment follows a long career in the European Commission, where Diane Schmitt held different strategic positions, including in the area of migration, security, and justice.