Trafficking in Human Beings

This Special Feature includes UNHCR's policy documents, guidelines and tools relevant to trafficking in human beings and international protection, case law, selected international and regional legal instruments, as well as non-treaty instruments, tools and resources documents.

Legal Documents Related to Trafficking in Human Beings

• Refugee Protection and Human Trafficking. Selected Legal Reference Materials, UNHCR, December 2008
• Joint UN Commentary on the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims - A Human Rights Based Approach, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Prevent. Combat. Protect: Human Trafficking, UNHCR, November 2011
• Commentary on the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, HR/PUB/10/2, UN, OHCHR, November 2010

Case Law

• HD (Trafficked women) Nigeria CG v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2016] UKUT 00454 (IAC), United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 17 October 2016
• TD and AD (Trafficked women)(CG) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2016] UKUT 00092 (IAC), United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 23 February 2016
• L.E. c. Grèce, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, Requête no 71545/12, 21 January 2016
• J.E.F. (Nigeria), No. 10012810, France: CNDA, 24 March 2015
• AS (Afghanistan) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, C5/2012/1564, United Kingdom: Court of Appeal (England and Wales), 21 November 2013
• Décision No. 13003859, 12 juillet 2013, Cour Nationale du Droit d'Asile ,France: Cour nationale du droit d'asile, 12 July 2013
• CE, 25 juillet 2013, N° 350661, France: Conseil d'Etat, 25 July 2013
• EK (Article 4 ECHR: Anti-Trafficking Convention) Tanzania v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2013] UKUT 00313 (IAC), United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 19 June 2013
• M. and others v. Italy and Bulgaria, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, Application no. 40020/03, 31 July 2012
• R (on the application of "E") v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, United Kingdom: High Court (England and Wales), 17 July 2012
• Talo v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 478,Canada: Federal Court, 24 April 2012
• Y, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2012] EWHC 1075 (Admin), United Kingdom: High Court (England and Wales), 20 April 2012
• A.O. (Kosovo), No. 11017758, France: CNDA, 15 March 2012
• R v. N and LE, [2012] EWCA Crim 189, United Kingdom: Court of Appeal (England and Wales), 20 February 2012
• V.F. c. La France, Requête no 7196/10, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 29 November 2011
• Décision No. 10020534, France: CNDA, 29 July 2011
• L.R. v. United Kingdom, Application No. 49113/09, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 28 June 2011
• D. H. v. Finland, Application no. 30815/09, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 28 June 2011
• PO (Nigeria) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department , [2011] EWCA Civ 132, United Kingdom: Court of Appeal (England and Wales), 22 February 2011
• Décision No. 10001027, France: CNDA, 1 October 2010
• Refugee Appeal Nos. 76478, 76479, 76480 & 76481, Nos. 76478, 76479, 76480 & 76481,New Zealand: Refugee Status Appeals Authority, 11 June 2010
• AZ (Trafficked women) Thailand v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2010] UKUT 118 (IAC), United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 8 April 2010
• AM and BM (Trafficked women) Albania v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2010] UKUT 80 (IAC), United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 18 March 2010
• Rantsev v. Cyprus and Russia, Application no. 25965/04, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 7 January 2010
• PO (Trafficked Women) Nigeria v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2009] UKAIT 00046, United Kingdom: Asylum and Immigration Tribunal / Immigration Appellate Authority, 23 November 2009
• Matter of X, United States Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), 9 August 2009
• HC & RC (Trafficked Women) China v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2009] UKAIT 00027,United Kingdom: Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), 18 July 2009
• R v. O, [2008] EWCA Crim 2835, United Kingdom: Court of Appeal (England and Wales), 2 September 2008
• SB (PSG - Protection Regulations - Reg 6) Moldova v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, CG [2008] UKAIT 00002, United Kingdom: Asylum and Immigration Tribunal / Immigration Appellate Authority, 26 November 2007
• Kaya v. Germany, Application no. 31753/02, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 28 June 2007
• Siliadin v. France, Application no. 73316/01, Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights, 26 July 2005

UNHCR Policy Documents Related to Trafficking in Human Beings

• Smuggling and Trafficking from the East of Africa : Progress Report,October 2014
• Smuggling and Trafficking from the East of Africa : Executive Summary,March 2013
• Baseline Standard Operating Procedures on Resettlement, 2011
• Handbook and Guidelines on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/1P/4/ENG/REV. 3, December 2011
• Field Handbook for the Implementation of UNHCR BID Guidelines, November 2011
• UNHCR Resettlement Handbook, July 2011
• Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration: The 10-Point Plan in action, February 2011
• The Heightened Risk Identification Tool and User's Guide, Second Edition, June 2010
• The Heightened Risk Identification Tool (User Guide), Second Edition, June 2010
• Comments on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, and protecting victims (COM(2010)95, 29 March 2010), June 2010
• Guidance Note on Refugee Claims Relating to Victims of Organized Gangs, 31 March 2010
• Guidelines on International Protection No. 8: Child Asylum Claims under Articles 1(A)2 and 1(F) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/09/08, 22 December 2009
• Refugee Protection and International Migration in the Americas: Trends, Protection Challenges and Responses, December 2009
• The Identification and Referral of Trafficked Persons to Procedures for Determining International Protection Needs, PPLAS/2009/03, October 2009
• Human Trafficking and Refugee Protection: UNHCR's Perspective, September 2009, Conference Paper: Ministerial Conference on "Towards Global EU Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings", Brussels, 19-20 October 2009
• Review of UNHCR's efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking, PDES/2008/07, 29 September 2008
• UNHCR Guidelines on Determining the Best Interests of the Child, Rev.(print-ready version), May 2008
• Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls, January 2008
• Guidelines on International Protection No. 7: The Application of Article 1 A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees to Victims of Trafficking and Persons At Risk of Being Trafficked, 7 April 2006
• Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination Under UNHCR's Mandate, 20 November 2003
• Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons. Guidelines for Prevention and Response, May 2003
• Global Consultations on International Protection/Third Track: Reception of Asylum-Seekers, Including Standards of Treatment, in the Context of Individual Asylum Systems, EC/GC/01/17, 4 September 2001
• Asylum Processes (Fair and Efficient Asylum Procedures), Global Consultations on International Protection, 2nd mtg.U.N Doc. EC/GC/01/12, 31 May 2001

UNHCR ExCom and Standing Committee

• A Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions, Smuggling and Trafficking, 6th edition, June 2011

Other Policy Documents Related to Trafficking in Human Beings

• Report of the International Conference on the interface between trafficking in human beings and asylum, 23-24 June 2015
• Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, E/2002/68/Add.1, 20 May 2002
• Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking : report of the Secretariat, CTOC/COP/2010/11, 16 July 2010