Todays difficult social problems faced by vulnerable groups especially in developing countries cannot be dealt with exclusively by the welfare state at the national level. Volunteer organisations in global civil society and the international community must shape a new political culture to overcome narrow perceptions and fixed ideas, and to enhance dialogue, cooperation and reciprocal complementarity.
The Greek State supports this endeavour in practice. Its objective is to protect human safety and dignity, to consolidate human rights and to strengthen citizen self-action. The activities of the NGOs it supports aim at making optimum use of the expertise of specialized personnel familiar with the problems from their work in the field, with the further objective of fully exploiting the experience and know-how in the framework of international development cooperation, playing a leading role in dealing with the problem on a regional level.
Efforts are being made to successfully implement in Greece the example of the large international organisations, which combat the scourge of human trafficking via integrated development aid programmes concentrating at the same time on three basic lines of action to tackle the phenomenon. These are Protection, Prevention and Repression, and they seek first and foremost to tackle the generic causes that make groups of citizens vulnerable to trafficking networks in the countries of origin. Secondly, they endeavour to find methods for stamping out organised crime in the countries of destination; thirdly, they aim to provide an integrated aid system for the victims once liberated, training competent bodies and raising the awareness of public opinion.
The nine competent Ministries along with humanitarian organisations in civil society are devising an integrated National Programme of Action in Greece aimed at successfully implementing the legal framework for the assistance and protection of victims as well as combating the phenomenon.
The National Action Programme includes the following:
-
Hostels - Refuges: In cooperation with the NGOs it supports four hostels for the protection of victims. It also co-finances two further hostels with the National Centre for Emergency Social Aid (Ministry of Health)
-
Provision of free legal aid: The aim is to provide free legal aid and counsel to non-Greek victims of illegal trafficking.
-
The creation of international networks to combat illegal trafficking and the exchange of information with the victims countries of origin (Balkan and East European countries).
-
Repatriation programmes: Financing voluntary repatriation programmes in collaboration with the International Migration Organisation. Our country has promoted a bilateral agreement with Albania for action against trafficking in minors.
-
Support to the countries of origin: Support for rehabilitation programmes for victims once repatriated to their country of origin with a) support for existing reception centres, b) social rehabilitation programmes, c) health and medical care, d) vocational seminars, etc.
-
Financing of educational seminars for
-
Police
-
Judges and public prosecutors
-
International contact node against illegal trafficking in Thessaloniki: In collaboration with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Stability Pact for South-east Europe a contact node is operating to coordinate the actions of international organisations and states in the alternate headquarters of the Stability Pact in Thessaloniki.
Summing up, strategic planning in Greece works on two parallel levels. First of all, bilateral and multilateral collaboration with international organisations and the countries of origin to draw up and implement development strategies to restrict the influx of victims on a regional level (supply); in Greece, by helping the victims through NGO programmes and institutional aid policies and information campaigns aimed at limiting demand and making users face up to their ethical responsibility, and the traffickers face criminal sanctions.