Human trafficking can have serious and long-lasting psychological consequences for victims, which may manifest as mental or physical symptoms, behavioural changes, or even conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and substance abuse. The way victims cope with their traumatic experience varies from person to person. These psychological vulnerabilities can affect a victim’s ability to participate in criminal proceedings, especially when making statements.

Myria therefore recommends improving awareness-raising and training for the stakeholders concerned (from frontline services to trial judges) on the psychological effects of trafficking and on the specific needs of victims.

Creating a safe and reassuring environment that takes into account the victims’ (psychological) vulnerabilities encourages their emotional security, their trust in the authorities and their willingness to cooperate in the investigation. Myria has observed that police and prosecution services pay attention to the vulnerabilities of trafficking victims during interviews, whether by giving them time and space, listening actively to them, or being attentive to their body language.

Myria encourages the continuation of existing good practices, such as the presence of a person of trust (for instance, a member of staff from a specialised reception centre) or conducting interviews with victims at reception centres where necessary. Other good practices are also worth highlighting. For the most vulnerable victims, there are specially adapted interview rooms where investigators take the necessary time and encourage victims to speak freely.

Furthermore, initial inconsistencies in victims’ accounts are regarded as a normal part of the process. The approach taken by the EVA (Emergency Victim Assistance) units in the Brussels police districts is a good example in this regard.

The specialised centres for victims of human trafficking play a crucial role in supporting trafficking victims. They offer support tailored as closely as possible to the victims’ complex needs. As part of the protection system available to trafficking victims, the 45-day reflection period allows them to recover, so that they can calmly reflect on whether or not to cooperate with the judicial authorities. However, this period is sometimes too short for victims who have experienced severe trauma.

Myria therefore calls for this period to be extended to three months in such cases.

In 2024, 346 offences related to human trafficking and 176 offences related to human smuggling were identified by the police in Belgium. The criminal prosecution services received 355 criminal cases relating to human trafficking, including 108 cases within the jurisdiction of Brussels, and 138 cases of human smuggling.

As for the specialised centres for victims of human trafficking, they received 1,558 reports, leading to 152 new support cases being initiated. Among them, 142 were victims of one or several forms of human trafficking, especially for the purpose of labour and sexual exploitation. Seven people were victims of human smuggling with aggravating circumstances, and three individuals were victims of both human trafficking and human smuggling.

Several victims were minors. Nineteen minors and (presumed) young adults who were victims of human trafficking and/or smuggling were also taken in by Esperanto and Meza in 2024. Four of them initiated the special procedure for victims and were thus also supported by one of the specialised centres.