The Spanish government unveiled a new bill on Tuesday with the aim of providing better protection to economically vulnerable migrants who are in the clutches of international human trafficking rings.
The proposed legislation is 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 individual will receive free, personalized legal aid, Llop said, along with the ability to seek financial aid and housing help. The bill would also create a new national police surveillance office dedicated to victims of trafficking.
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Spain’s interior ministry says Spanish police freed more than 1,000 victims from human exploitation networks last year. The vast majority of victims of sexual exploitation were women from Colombia, Paraguay, Romania and Venezuela. Police also freed two Romanian girls from forced marriages.
The legislation would also allow potential victims to seek assistance without having to charge someone allegedly involved in trafficking them. The provision is intended to reduce fears of reprisals and allay concerns that migrants without a residence permit in Spain may face problems from immigration authorities.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the most vulnerable people,” Llop said at a press conference in Madrid. “This is a first-rate ethical and democratic commitment.”
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Spanish Justice Minister Pilar Llop speaks at a press conference at La Moncloa Palace on November 29, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. Llop announced that a new bill has been proposed to help migrants at risk of human trafficking.
(Carlos Lujan/Europa Press via Getty Images)
The youngest member of Spain’s left-wing coalition government has criticized the bill as not going far enough. He wants all potential victims to receive permits to legally reside and work in Spain.
Llop acknowledged that the proposal will likely undergo changes before the Spanish parliament votes on it.
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The differing views among members of the ruling coalition come amid a long debate in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s cabinet over a delayed transgender rights bill.
