END-TRAFFICKING

The problem your project solves

The End-Trafficking project falls within the Fight against crime challenge. Under this challenge, the project aims at addressing the critical issue of identification of human trafficking victims during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. These victims (3.8 million adults and 1 million minors) are vulnerable and an invisible group, suffering from more violence in the current outbreak (greater hiding and moving, increased vulnerability of their children, on-line sexual violence, etc). The Council of Europe GRETA Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings has already denounced this situation, which has increased the multiple risks in which victims find themselves under the COVID-19 pandemic.

The solution you bring to the table

The End-Trafficking project aims to develop a user-friendly free app for the social and healthcare professional sectors, as well as for citizens, addressed to provide information on: 1) Indicators for the detection of possible victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation (risk indicators) 2) Mechanisms to act and/or report, and 3) The legal framework adapted to the country of the user, as the App will use geolocation.

With this app, the project will contribute to the identification of sex-trafficking victims in the short term, and to achieve social impact in the long term by eradicating trafficking in human beings through a community approach that involves professionals and all citizens.

What you have done during the weekend

A revision of similar successful apps (for example, to fight child sex-trafficking) at the international level has been carried out. Such app review and an in-depth scientific literature review on the topic has inspired our novel app, which addresses the gap of such a tool for the community identification of victims of sexual trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. We have discussed, agreed and developed the idea of the App. Our discussions have included technical and infrastructure related aspects, the ethics behind the App, governance issues, ideas for dissemination and impact, and the elaboration of a business plan. Bearing all that in mind, a prototype of the app has been designed.

The solution’s impact to the crisis

• To improve the attention to trafficking victims and increase the possibilities to identify risk factors.
• To provide tools to social workers, professionals working on homeless, unaccompanied minors, gender violence or drug addicts; healthcare sector, and citizenship, to engage in identifying victims of sex-trafficking and be better informed to take action for eradicating trafficking of human beings.

The necessities in order to continue the project

Our product is an App, so it will need its final development by a company specializing in the creation of such tools, to be sub-contracted for an estimated amount of 15,000 euros. Also, it will be necessary a person to administer the app during the first year, being this person in charge of technical and ethical updating. Hiring this person for a year (15 hours per month) will have an estimated cost of 5,900 euros. The first year will also imply the dissemination of the app for its use by the highest possible number of people in the communities.

For the sustainability and viability of the project, in its second year, a network of social entities that develop their activity in the field of support to victims of trafficking and the elimination of it will assume its continuation. So one of the tasks of the person hired the first year will be to delegate to such network of social entities.

The value of your solution(s) after the crisis

• Community engagement in identifying victims of sex-trafficking, expanding the contexts and types of individuals participating in solving this problem.
• Raised awareness among all the citizenry and understanding that the fight against human trafficking is a community concern.