"Every year tens of young Slovenians accept promising job offers in the catering sector, especially in Italy, and end up as victims of human trafficking. These figures are unconfirmed, but we do know that they leave the country and that we as parents are not cautious enough to where our young go and what kind of foreign jobs offers they get. Slovenia is a source country for human trafficking" said Imre Jerebic, the general secretary of Slovenia's Karitas, for MMC.

500 thousand new victims every year
In Europe there are 500 thousand new victims of human trafficking every year. Slovenia's Karitas stresses that Slovenia is not an exception. Not an exception regarding victims and not an exception regarding the causes. In recent years Karitas has helped 65 females and males, victims of forced prostitution, forced begging in the streets and forced slavery. "Human trafficking is the poorest and most treacherous form of slavery according to our and world standards. That's why helping the victims is one of the priorities of the Slovenian Karitas" said Jerebic, who is also a member of the Inter-ministerial Working Group on the Fight against Human Trafficking.

The deadline expired in April
Slovenia still has a lot to do in the legal area to fulfill the European directive on the fight against human trafficking. The deadline for that expired in April this year; out of the 27 EU members only six have ratified the directive so far.

The courts haven't sealed any night clubs where victims of human trafficking "dance"
That was said by Tomaž Peršolja, the head of the police sector for organized crime. In Slovenia there is still not one single case of a court penalizing a legal entity for human trafficking or shutting down a club with dancers which turn out to be victims of human trafficking. "We have the legal foundations, but in court practice we don't have one example of dispossessing property for the criminal offence of human trafficking," explained Peršolja. He expects the conclusion of the first court cases next year, which will also show how much wealth can actually be acquired through human trafficking.

Human trafficking brings in a profit of 32 billion US dollars
By world standards trafficking with humans is considered a criminal activity with low risks and high gains – according to the International Labour Organization, annual profits amount to around 32 billion US dollars.

What about compensation for the victims?
Peršolja is also against the traumatization of the victims during court procedures, which have to benefit the victim and not the trial itself or those trying to take advantage of it. "Another matter that isn't clarified yet is the compensation payment for the victims of human trafficking. Compensation is envisaged under law, but so far I haven't heard of any compensation being paid out. That's another area which is legally regulated, but is not being implemented," critically assessed Peršolja at the »Without Borders, Without Chains« conference organized by the Slovenian Karitas. He added also that on a yearly basis the police handle three to four cases of human trafficking, as "Slovenia is considered the suburb of Milan or Vienna". The police are also targeting organizers of forced begging in the streets, with two court cases already finalized.