EU to launch anti-smuggling campaign during World Cup
The European Union justice and interior ministers today agreed to organise campaigns to fight forced prostitution and racism during the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany.
The campaign will also coincide with EU efforts to curb hooliganism and prevent terrorism at the tournament, EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said.
Hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world are expected to attend the month-long competition, which begins on June 9.
Austria’s Interior Minister Liese Prokop, whose country holds the EU presidency, said the ministers agreed to several practical measures to address human trafficking in the sex trade.
“It is very, very important for there to be awareness raising in this area, we cannot turn a blind eye,” Prokop told reporters.
The ministers agreed to launch “targeted campaigns,” to provide information to the general public in an effort to “reduce the risk of becoming of trafficking in human beings,” they said in a joint statement.
She said special liaison officers speaking different languages would be sent from across the EU to help German investigators and police to man 24-hour hot lines to help victims of the sex trade during the tournament.
“We will be able to show to our public that we are united,” Frattini said.
Frattini, who did not go into detail on what the anti-racism campaign would include, said the measure was meant to address growing concern across Europe that racism is spreading at soccer stadiums, especially among hooligan groups who use race to pick fights among supporters.
World soccer’s governing body, Fifa, has already passed tougher rules to curb racist conduct by fans.
The EU ministers also reviewed Germany’s security preparations before the World Cup.
The EU fears some 40,000 women from poorer Eastern European countries will head to Germany, some against their will.
Sweden’s Justice Minister Thomas Bodstrom said his country was sending up to 30 police officers to help Germany curb the smuggling of forced sex-trade workers into Germany.
“We know trafficking will be a problem,” Bodstrom said, adding that while it is illegal for Swedes to pay for prostitutes in their home country, there was little he could do to prevent Swedish fans from seeking their services in Germany, where it is legal.
Other EU measures already adopted include reinforced checks at external EU border points to ensure neither known hooligans or women are smuggled in. Germany is also to temporarily re-impose national border checks.
“I’m confident that the German government is preparing quite well to face this terrible threat that a growing number of young girls are forced to being prostitutes,” said Frattini.
The EU last year agreed to step up actions to fight human trafficking and stop the sexual and labour exploitation of people.
The plans call for EU governments to set up specialised agencies or police units focused on combating trafficking rings, and better co-ordinate actions with the EU’s Europol police investigations agency.
The plan also focuses on boosting EU co-operation with countries in Africa or elsewhere in Europe that are used by organised crime gangs as bases from which to move illegals into the EU.
