Spain’s government introduced a new bill on Tuesday with the aim of providing better protection for economically vulnerable migrants who find themselves in the clutches of international human trafficking networks.
The proposed legislation was designed to help victims of different types of trafficking, from sexual exploitation and forced labor to the illegal sale of human organs, involuntary marriages and other criminal activities, Spanish Justice Minister Pilar Llop said.
Once a court confirms a person’s status as a potential victim, that person will receive free, personalized legal assistance, Llop said, along with the ability to seek financial aid and housing assistance. The bill would also create a new surveillance office of the National Police dedicated to victims of trafficking.
THE COALITION GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN PROPOSAL TO REFORM THE PENALTY OF SEDITION
Spain’s Interior Ministry says Spanish police released more than 1,000 victims of human exploitation rings last year. The vast majority of the victims of sexual exploitation were women from Colombia, Paraguay, Romania and Venezuela. Police have also released two girls from Romania from forced marriages.
The legislation would also allow potential victims to seek help without having to charge anyone allegedly involved in their trafficking. The provision is intended to reduce fear of retaliation and allay concerns that immigrants without permission to stay in Spain could face problems from immigration authorities.
“There is nothing more important than the protection of the most vulnerable people,” Llop said during a press conference in Madrid. “This is an ethical and democratic commitment of the first order.”
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Spain’s Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop, at a press conference at the Palacio de La Moncloa, on November 29, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. Llop announced that a new bill has been proposed to help migrants who are at risk of human trafficking.
(Carlos Luján/Europa Press via Getty Images)
The youngest member of Spain’s left-wing coalition government has criticized the bill for not going far enough. He wants all possible victims to receive permits to legally reside and work in Spain.
Llop acknowledged that the proposal will probably undergo modifications before the Spanish Parliament votes on it.
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The differing views among members of the ruling coalition come amid a protracted debate in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s cabinet over a delayed transgender rights bill.
