Samos, 15 November 2024 – The UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Siobhán Mullally, has published a letter of allegation against the Greek Government due to its “failure to adequately identify possible victims of trafficking, especially women and children, and failure to protect identified victims of trafficking in persons in the island of Samos”. To date, the Greek Government has not responded to the Special Rapporteur. 

The letter of allegation is the result of over two years of work by I Have Rights:

  • In October 2022, I Have Rights sent a complaint to the Special Rapporteur on behalf of 13 survivors of human trafficking detailing violation of their rights Samos Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC).
  • In September 2023, I Have Rights published a report on the conditions of survivors of human trafficking in the CCAC, based on testimonies and data from survivors. 
  • In November 2023, I Have Rights sent a follow up complaint to the Special Rapporteur highlighting the continuing mistreatment of survivors on Samos and urgent need for action. 
  • In June 2024, I Have Rights sent a third communication to the Special Rapporteur, with updated information on the cases of the 13 survivors, plus the cases of additional survivors. 

In her letter the Special Rapporteur raises serious concerns about the suitability of the prison-like Samos CCAC for survivors:

The prison-like architecture and management of the facility, including its geographic and time restrictions that limit the residents’ basic freedom of movement, could impact the ability of survivors of trafficking who are accommodated in the CCAC to integrate into society. Survivors of trafficking require supportive and nurturing environments, such as safe houses.

[…]

I would like to express grave concern that for victims of trafficking to be subject to intense surveillance and tracking infrastructure risks retraumatising them and strip them of their dignity. The highly securitised environment of the CCAC, coupled with its isolated location, restrictions on movement, and lack of services, is not conducive to psychological, physical or social recovery of victims of trafficking.

Among the key issues raised, the Special Rapporteur emphasises:

  • Failure to identify trafficking survivors: “all 14 cases demonstrate the systemic failures to identify survivors of trafficking.”
  • De facto detention: “restrictions of liberty are particularly unsuitable for survivors of trafficking”.
  • Lack of appropriate services and housing including systemic breaches such as: “identification and inadequate provision of protection services, including lack of appropriate housing and lack of medical, psychological and material assistance, by the National Referral Mechanism”. 

The UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons urges the Greek government to, inter alia:

  1. Ensure prompt identification of trafficking survivors, particularly women and children, and referral to protection services.
  2. Provide information as to how conditions in the CCAC meet the requirements for appropriate accommodation for a victim/survivor or possible victim/survivor of trafficking
  3. Ensure access to essential services like accommodation, medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance, especially for families with children born to trafficking survivors.
  4. Comply with human rights obligations, including the prohibition of torture, inhuman treatment, and non-refoulement.

I Have Rights continues to advocate for the protection of survivors of human trafficking and will continue to work alongside various national, European and international stakeholders to defend the rights of survivors of human trafficking.