Victim-centred approach to human trafficking for sexual exploitation: Assessment of the Italian system under the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Trafficking in human beings is an age-old phenomenon which continues to grow and affect thousands of men, women and children every year globally. Anyone in any community, city or rural area - at the domestic as well as transnational level - might become a trafficking victim. Trafficking exists in different forms, including, among others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, child soldiery and organ removal. Regardless of its form, trafficking severely violates victims' fundamental rights such as dignity and individual freedom. Hence, combating trafficking has become a growing priority in the agenda of numerous States and international organisations. The present thesis explores trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Italy, with a focus on assessing whether Italian policies, legislation and National Plans comply with the victim-centred approach set forth by the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. Special attention is paid to norms and regulations concerning residence permits and social assistance to trafficking victims. To begin with, Chapter I outlines the definition and key elements of such a complex phenomenon as trafficking in human beings, with a specific view on the anatomy of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Then, Chapter II investigates the Council of Europe normative framework on trafficking, with particular emphasis on the Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings, its victim-centred approach and its monitoring body. Subsequently, Chapter III delves into the Italian case. After providing some knowledge on the magnitude of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Italy, Chapter III evaluates the key national normative and policy instruments in place starting from the late-1990s shift from a crime-control to a victim-centred approach onwards. Lastly, Chapter IV concentrates on Italy’s obligations under the abovementioned Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings with specific regards to the protection of trafficking victims, accessible social assistance measures and the issuing of residence permits for foreign victims.