Signs of violence. Excessive fatigue, exhaustion. Venereal diseases. Fear, avoidance of gaze, narrative gaps and evasions: a person cannot clearly answer where he lives and even how he got to the hospital. He is accompanied by another person who refuses to leave the patient alone even during the examination. Here are some of the signs that should “sound” as a red alarm. medical worker in case the patient is in front of him victim of human trafficking. The following movements require very fine processing. Assertive behavior can frighten the victim into running away, or anger the abuser, compromising the safety of the victim and the person who was trying to help.

To enhance the knowledge and skills of medical professionals in identifying the situation of human trafficking and providing appropriate support KMOP-Center for Social Action and Innovationin cooperation with the administration of the 2nd medical region Piraeus and the Aegean and within the framework of the corresponding European program “Amelie”, held four training events in February with the participation of hospital staff and primary health care structures throughout the country. In November and December 2022, five information events were held in cooperation with the Reception and Identification Service of the Ministry of Immigration, including for medical professionals. In total, about 480 medical workers of various fields and specialties were trained within the framework of the program in the medical institutions of the country: from multidisciplinary hospitals such as Attikon, psychiatric hospitals such as Dromokaiteo, or even special ones such as Andreas Singros.

Such as notes on “K” Program Manager “Amelie”, Natasha Aleksopoulou, “doctors and nurses in Europe often come into contact with victims of human trafficking, but do not recognize them and do not refer them to the appropriate services.” The situation is similar in Greece. “In none of the trainings did any of the medical professionals who participated in them report with certainty that they had encountered a victim of human trafficking. For example, signs of violence brought by patients may also be associated with domestic violence. Our goal is to increase the readiness of healthcare workers through relevant information and training, especially given the difficult working conditions they face, the limited time available and the number of people they have to support each day.”

According to Ms. Aleksopoulou, a doctor or nurse may suspect a person who has applied to the hospital based on a combination of signs, physical, psychological or behavioral. “Such as signs of neglect or abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, not knowing where they live, gaps in the information they provide and avoidance of providing information, or the presence of a person who refuses to allow them to be tested without their presence,” he said. . notes and continues: “The reaction of the medical staff depends on the case and always taking into account the safety of the person, as well as his own. Human trafficking is a complex crime, on the one hand to identify and on the other hand to be able to help the victim, who may deny the situation, be afraid to give information or react to any approach. This is even more true when we talk about people from other countries because of a different language and culture, which increases distance and distrust.”

“Caution and Patience”

Ms. Alexopoulou points out that when there are signs of human trafficking, the health care provider should work with social service personnel or a mental health professional at the hospital to figure out how to handle the incident and contact relevant agencies such as the National Help Center. Mechanism of the National Center for Social Solidarity and NGO A21 for guidance. “Dealing with a potential victim requires caution and patience, while ensuring that she returns for evaluation or continues treatment is paramount. Time to prepare a professional response and build trust is critical,” he stresses. It is noted that in the first half of 2022, the National Reporting Organization of the National Center for Social Solidarity received 134 reports of new cases of human trafficking, of which the vast majority (98) were sent by public sector bodies such as the Hellenic Police and Asylum Service, EODY psychosocial levels in identification centres, health posts and the municipality of Athens. Of the total number of cases, 113 victims were adults (92 women and 21 men) and 21 children (14 girls and 7 boys), of which nine were unaccompanied. Most of the adult victims (79) and ten of the child victims are Africans. Sexual and labor are the main forms of exploitation of victims (74 and 57 respectively). In three cases of sexual exploitation, the victims were minors. In the vast majority of cases, the victims escaped either alone or with the help of others.