INTERCEPTED partners organised a series of focus groups dedicated to exchange of ideas and practices focusing specifically on advertisement and recruitment in order to effectively intervene to both supply and demand sides of THB (Trafficking in Human-Beings). The Focus Group Meetings took place in Italy, Greece and Spain in November 2023. The events gathered Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Internet Service Providers (ISP), Judicial Practitioners and Victim Protection/Assistance Services to discuss the following topics related to the INTERCEPTED project:

• The needs of different stakeholders involved in THB by understanding these key trends in recruitment and advertisement of trafficked services online
• Existing trends in the recruitment of victims
• The differences in the way that different victim profiles and purchaser profiles are targeted differently online, considering both the type of exploitation (e.g., sexual, labour, and if labour, in what sector, e.g., agriculture, textile, construction) as well as the specific traits of the victims, such as age (/broad age category), gender, nationality, disability
• The ways in which different online platforms are used for the recruitment of victims of trafficking and the advertisement of their services

ITALY

On Friday 10th of November 2023, the Prosecutor Office of Trieste and Agenfor delivered the Focus Group (FG) titled: ‘Nodes of public-private cooperation (PPP) in the context of investigations into human trafficking’. The focus group meeting took place in a blended modality, in presence and on the Microsoft Teams platform, taking into account the participants’ availability. It was  held with the participation of Law Enforcement Agencies, (LEAs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Judicial Practitioners, and Victim Protection/Assistance Services. Throughout the meeting, participants   discussed the needs of different stakeholders involved in THB by trying to identify the key trends in recruitment and advertisement of trafficked services online.

In total, 19 (15 in presence and 4 online) first-line practitioners attended this meeting. The focus group meeting started with a presentation of the INTERCEPTED project (objectives, outcomes, results). Then, the discussion focused on six main subject areas, according to the agenda. The meeting lasted for 4 hours (with a coffee break).

GREECE

On Tuesday 21st of November 2023, KEMEA delivered the aforementioned focus group titled: “Online Trafficking: Trends, Challenges, Needs”. The focus group meeting took place online, on Teams platform, due to participants’ availability. In total, 8 first-line practitioners attended this meeting, led by KEMEA’s team.
The discussion focused on three main subject areas, according to the agenda:

o “Existing trends in the recruitment of victims of Human Trafficking”.
o “Challenges, needs, gaps in fighting Online Trafficking”.
o The role of Internet and the usage of social media in the recruitment of victims of Online Trafficking”.

The meeting lasted for 3 consecutive hours (without break)

SPAIN

The Focus group, titled “Current trends in Online Trafficking investigation”, was organised in the venues of the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (FUNDEA), in Granada, Spain on 30 November 2023. Participants could also join online. The focus group lasted for three hours, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm (without break).

Questions to guide the FG were the following:

• In relation to your profession, what are the main challenges of countering human trafficking in the digital era?

• Could you list specific gaps in your daily work in relation to online recruitment of Victims of Trafficking and the advertisement of trafficked services?
  
  
• Could you list specific needs in your daily work in relation to online recruitment of Victims of Trafficking and the advertisement of trafficked services?
  
  
• To your opinion, what training material should be included to satisfy these needs?
  
  
• Have data-sharing procedures between ISPs, LEAs, judicial authorities, and victim protection services been developed? If yes, how would you describe their effectiveness? If no, please elaborate on your experience and what could possibly be done to enhance the procedures.
  
  
• Would you consider the cooperation component between ISPs, LEAs, judicial authorities, and victim protection services adequate? If not, please specify the reasons.

• How would the implementation of a cooperation protocol between ISPs, LEAs, judicial authorities, and victim protection services for a timely provision of information on recruitment and advertisement of trafficking address the challenges faced by all the parties?

• Have you identified specific needs on review of the existing legal framework with regards to the detection of the recruitment and advertisement of human trafficking?

• According to your professional experience, what type of multi-crimes are associated with online THB?