Over the past two years, the ERADICATING II project is working on the capacity building of professionals in a multidisciplinary approach across Greece, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Germany, reaching more than 700 professionals dedicated to preventing and combating trafficking in human beings (THB). These endeavours brought together law enforcement agencies, labour inspectorates, civil society organisations, prosecutors, and first-line practitioners, all working to strengthen cooperation, improve identification procedures, and enhance victim protection mechanisms.
This large-scale effort shows the importance of coordinated capacity-building initiatives that not only equip professionals with specialised knowledge, but also foster shared operational standards and reinforce multi-agency cooperation at both national and European levels.
Within the project scope, trainings have been conducted combining theoretical knowledge with practical exercises, scenario-based discussions, and interactive case studies, enabling participants to enhance their understanding of trafficking patterns, victim identification indicators, and institutional referral mechanisms. Special emphasis was placed on addressing emerging vulnerabilities, including the increased risks faced by displaced populations such as refugees from Ukraine. By equipping professionals with tailored tools, clear operational guidance, and practical resources, these initiatives strengthened their ability to detect exploitation early, protect victims effectively, and coordinate timely interventions.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders – police officers, prosecutors, inspectors, NGOs, and frontline practitioners – the ERADICATING II project strengthens shared understanding, improves operational alignment, and promotes a unified approach to victim protection and case management.
A key outcome of the project is the development of comprehensive learning materials, now available online, alongside two practical pocket guides – one specifically designed for frontline professionals and one for the general public. These guides provide essential information on recognising labour trafficking, understanding rights, identifying risk indicators, and following referral procedures, making them invaluable tools for both daily practice and raising broader awareness in society.
Pocket Size Guide for Public & first line responders
Beyond technical skills, the project fostered cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation, creating a shared space for dialogue, experience exchange, and networking among different stakeholders. Participants developed a deeper appreciation of each institution’s role, established pathways for more effective collaboration, and reinforced trust across agencies—foundations that are essential for sustained, coordinated responses to trafficking.
Complementing the trainings, the Master Simulation Exercise held in Athens brought together over 80 professionals from across Europe in a realistic, scenario-based environment. This hands-on exercise provided a unique opportunity to test operational coordination, explore multi-agency strategies, and identify practical solutions to complex trafficking cases. By simulating real-life challenges, the exercise reinforced the value of preparedness, agility, and structured cooperation in protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators.
By investing in professional development, providing accessible learning tools, and fostering networks of collaboration, the ERADICATING II project strengthens the operational resilience of all stakeholders involved in combating trafficking, promotes consistent, high-quality responses across sectors, and ultimately contributes to the protection of human rights and the reduction of exploitation across Europe.
Recommendations for Future Trainings
Based on the described training activities carried out within the ERADICATING II project, several key recommendations can be formulated for the design, targeting, and content of future training initiatives on labour trafficking. Overall, the project experience shows that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model; rather, effective training formats need to be adapted to national contexts, available resources and clearly defined objectives.
Training design. A central decision concerns whether to organise joint trainings for multiple target groups or to offer separate, target group-specific formats. This choice should be guided by several factors: the availability of financial and organisational resources (as separate trainings for each group are particularly resource-intensive), the existence of comparable national training offers that can be built upon or complemented, and the question of whether the training is conceived as a one-off event or as part of a longer-term, recurring programme. Importantly, participants should be involved in shaping the training format itself, for example through needs assessments or feedback loops. The ERADICATING II experience suggests that both joint and separate formats can be highly beneficial when applied strategically. Bringing different professional groups together is especially valuable where shared challenges, coordination needs and mutual understanding are at stake. At the same time, depth and manageability must be balanced. A particularly effective model proved to be a two-day format: one day dedicated to joint content and exchange across sectors, and a second day focusing on target group-specific issues that require more in-depth discussion.
Target groups. Future trainings should reach beyond the actors traditionally involved in combating labour trafficking. In addition to law enforcement, prosecutors, labour inspectors and first-line practitioners, organisations such as occupational health and safety bodies or labour law institutions should be considered, as they may encounter indicators of trafficking in their daily work. At the same time, expanding the circle of participants requires sufficient time and space to clarify roles and responsibilities in combating THB. The project also highlights the importance of differentiating between roles: specialised counselling centres should be addressed as a distinct group rather than being subsumed under the category of “first-line practitioners”, and the term “first responders” is recommended to better reflect operational realities. Finally, invitation strategies should be adapted to different professional cultures and responsibilities in order to ensure active participation.
Training content. Several thematic areas emerged as particularly relevant for future trainings. These include a stronger focus on trauma-informed interviewing practices, the provision of up-to-date and context-specific resources, and the integration of emerging topics such as the role of artificial intelligence in both facilitating and combating labour trafficking. Equally important is the deliberate creation of spaces to build trust and cooperation between organisations, especially between NGOs and law enforcement authorities. In this context, specialised counselling centres play a key role – not only as service providers, but also as knowledge carriers and essential cooperation partners that can enrich training content across all target groups.
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