Trafficking is a multifaceted and transnational phenomenon. Social workers in contact with potential or identified victims of trafficking need to develop and enhance skills and a global approach, taking in account all the dimensions of the trafficking, especially the transnational one through continuous and innovative education activities, adapting their knowledge and their working practices depending on the evolution of the phenomenon. In particular, a global knowledge of the specific social and legal frameworks in the different countries of European Union, especially in the Mediterranean area, is important to provide an adapted support to victims and encourage their social inclusion in the destination country. The project “Transnational cooperation and new technologies to train social workers on trafficking in human beings” gathers 8 organizations specialized in the trafficking and migration issues as well as in the training for professionals, in 4 European countries: Spain, Italy, Cyprus and France. The organizations are: Mujeres en Zona de Conflicto, On the Road, Cooperativa sociale Dedalus Cooperativa sociale, Associazione culturale cooperazione internazionale Sud Sud (CISS), Cooperativa sociale Proxima, Hope for Children CRC Policy Center, Cyprus Refugee Council, and Association ALC, which is also the coordinator. The project aims at promoting, developing and strengthening the competencies of social workers (and more largely of other relevant stakeholders in contact with identified or potential victims of trafficking) in the identification, support and protection of victims of human trafficking through the design and the implementation of innovative digital tools and methods of training based on a transnational, participatory and open approach. The improvement of the competencies of the social workers will allow to develop and enhance assistance and protection measures for victims of trafficking improving their social inclusion in the countries of destination. The digital and innovative tools will be elaborated on the basis of the analysis of the knowledge and skills acquired during short-term joint staff training events organized in turn in the four countries for the staff members of the 8 partners of the projects. The project plans to elaborate and disseminate - a “digital travelogue” presenting an analysis of good practices implemented in the 4 countries in terms of multilevel cooperation to support victims. - a mobile and a computer application, tailored on a game-learning and participatory approaches which interactively present the general legislative and social measures concerning migrants, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking, in Italy, Spain Cyprus and France, in order to train and inform stakeholders at local and national level in the identification and protection of victims of trafficking - 5 videoclips, based on the forum theatre approach, describing 5 different problematic situations of identification, referral and protection of victims of trafficking. The videoclips are used during training sessions for professionals and aim at encouraging the debate and the participation of the trainees. Their content is elaborated in cooperation with former victims f trafficking - a digital comic describing the trafficking and migration paths of different victims (Eu and non-EU) and highlighting the risks they can encountered, the rights they can pretend and the service providers they can contact and trust in the 4 partner countries, in order to develop an innovative way of contact with the potential or identified victims of trafficking. This tool is also elaborated in cooperating with former victims of trafficking The expected impacts of the project are both on the participating organizations and on the other relevant stakeholders at national and European level. The results will be disseminated during a final conference and they will be in free access on websites and social networks of the partners. They also enrich the methodology and the content of the training modules of the 8 partner organizations.
Trafficking in human beings is a complex and transnational phenomenon, which affects the life of men, women and children. It evolves according to geopolitical changes related for example to migration or the fight against organized crime. Victims of trafficking transit between European countries, sometimes under the coercion of the criminal networks, sometimes to escape from these networks. These movements can impact the assistance and support measures for which they are intended (for example in terms of access or not to their right to residency). The #ATtrACT+ project has improved the knowledge and skills of social workers, working with trafficked persons in the areas of their identification and protection. In more detail, 33 professionals in charge of the identification and global support of trafficked persons (social workers, lawyers, association coordinators) participated in 9 transnational trainings organized in the different partner countries (details in annexes). The training sessions, each lasting 4 days, were organized according to a practical and participative pedagogical approach, based on times of exchange of practices between professionals (host organization and trainees), on the participative observation of the host organization's activities and meetings with local institutions and NGOs working in the field of human trafficking. On the basis of the knowledge acquired and capitalized by the participants in the transnational training sessions, the members of the steering committee have developed three training and information tools for professionals and one information and awareness raising tool for trafficked persons. These tools are: 1. A travelogue in 4 languages, synthesis of the reports of the trainees who participated in the transnational trainings. 2. A mobile application, presenting in an interactive way the phenomenon, the national legislations and the protection programs set up in the 4 countries of the project. 3. Six video clips, based on the forum theater approach, describing different problematic situations of identification, referral and protection of victims of trafficking. The video clips are used during training sessions for professionals and aim to encourage debate and participation of the trainees. Their content was developed in cooperation with former victims of trafficking. 4. A comic “Finally free” describing the trafficking and migration routes of two victims and highlighting the risks they may encounter, the rights they may be entitled to and the stakeholders they can trust in the 4 partner countries. The four tools have been disseminated at local, national and European level, to spread the knowledge and skills acquired beyond the project group. Through the actions carried out, the partner associations have strengthened not only their skills but also their inter-association cooperation links and this has had a direct and positive impact on their daily work of identification, support and protection of trafficked persons. Furthermore, by involving former victims of trafficking in the conception and elaboration of intellectual productions, the project has encouraged the constitution of a group of former victims who have since engaged in other empowerment and support initiatives. The skills acquired and the tools produced enrich the content and methodology of the training courses that the partners and the project coordinator carry out at local and national level, even beyond the end of the project.