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The Committee against modern slavery

Our history

The Committee Against Modern Slavery (CCEM) was created in 1994, by French journalists and attorneys.

It first faced general disbelief and the indifference of public authorities. These stories then seem distant. Nobody wanted to believe in the existence on the French territory of people in situation of domestic slavery, locked up, deprived of identity, forced to exorbitant working hours, undergoing physical and psychological violence.

For 30 years, the CCEM has led the fight for the recognition of these crimes and the change of French and European legislations. Since its creation, more than 1200 victims were accompanied by our teams. Twice, France was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECRH) on requests by the CCEM.

OUR MISSION

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 40 million people are victims of modern slavery around the world (According to a study conducted by the ILO, the International Office for Migration / IOM and the NGO Walk Free in September 2017). On the 40 million, 25 million were victims of forced labor and 15 million forced marriage. 71% of the victims were women or girls. This illegal activity generates $ 150 billion in illegal profits. Domestic work, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and services are among the most affected sectors.

The CCEM fights against all forms of slavery, servitude and human trafficking for labor exploitation. It is based on Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

“No one shall be held in slavery or servitude. Slavery and the slave trade are banned in all their forms “.

Created in 1994, the CCEM denounces all slavery around the world. It has become a reference in the fight against trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labor exploitation. The mandate of the CCEM includes victims of trafficking for the purpose of forced begging or for the purpose of coercion to commit crimes. The CCEM accompanies the victims, the vast majority of whom are women or girls in a situation of domestic servitude, but also men who are victims of human trafficking for economic purposes in the construction, restaurant, trade, health and social services sectors, crafts, small businesses or agriculture. It provides them with global, social, legal and administrative support. These situations are found in all socio-economic environments, from underprivileged suburbs, rural areas, privileged environments to diplomatic representations, but remain poorly known by the public. The CCEM also acts to awareness professionals and the general public and to enforce the legislation.

The CCEM’s poles of action stem from a comprehensive approach to effectively combat this scourge through prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership and advocacy: home and community life, legal pole, social pole, advocacy and awareness and training pole.

Then participate actively in combating this scourge. France amended its legislation in 2013 to bring it into line with its international commitments. Sentenced twice by the European Court of Human Rights in 2005 and 2012, in two cases monitored by the CCEM, France even went further, introducing in August 2013 slavery, servitude and forced labor in the Penal Code. Recognition both symbolic and effective of the reality of these offenses, translated in 2014, by a National Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings but which did not have sufficient means for its implementation in practice.

 

To find out more about our activities, read our activity reports!

Our units

RECEPTION DESK & community life

It is often very difficult to recognize a victim of human trafficking for labor exploitation. This is why a careful work of the reception center of the reports is essential. The victim identification phase is the most sensitive, especially if the person is still operating. Before deciding on the care, the CCEM studies the path of each person reported and its current situation as part of a comprehensive approach (legal, administrative and social). The average time between a telephone report and an actual treatment is 1 to 3 months (average of 46 days) depending on the elements provided by the reporter and after the agreement of the person. Some care is decided urgently especially in cases of violence and need for urgent shelter. The care, meanwhile, takes on average four to five years at the social level and can go up to 12 years at the legal level.

Each report is analyzed on the basis of 7 criteria:

  •  The exorbitant workload without holidays
  • Absence or insufficiency of remuneration
  • Confiscation of identity documents
  • The existence of threats, bullying, insults or any other psychological or physical violence.
  • Control of contact with the outside world and social and family ties
  • Discriminatory living conditions
  • Cultural and / or social isolation

With regard to this clue, each situation is examined with great attention taking into account the situation of the high vulnerability of the person received.
Legal team

Access to justice for victims, however, remains a complex process that usually requires the support of specialized associations in the field. The Committee Against Modern Slavery (CCEM), for almost 25 years, has strived to accompany victims of human trafficking for labor exploitation in their court proceedings. The objective of the association is to obtain the recognition by the justice of the existence of this phenomenon and thus the recognition of the rights and the compensation of the victims.

Legal support involves different missions to victims of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation through work:

  • The analysis of facts, evidence or possible judicial obstacles
  • Information on the rights of victims and the different approaches available to them, including the possibility of lodging a complaint
  • The determination of the contentious strategy of the file
  • The referral of justice and the accompaniment of the victim in this process
  • The follow-up of procedures both at the criminal and at the administrative level
  • The follow-up of related procedures such as referral to the labor courts or the family court judge
SOCIAL WORKER OFFICE

The social support of the CCEM is built on an individualized basis. It is conceived around two logics according to the capacities and the needs of the people accompanied at the exit of exploitation and then in the autonomy and insertion. Social support starts with listening work, essential to understand the suffering of the past, the difficulties of the present and to better accompany the victims who remain anxious about their future. It also provides comfort, moral support to encourage and mobilize the person to lay the foundation for analysis of the path of support, and finally to set the objectives and priorities of this support.

Individuals benefit from an individualized support project that enables the person and the social worker to define the priorities, objectives and needs of support. This contract is the first fundamental step in the integration process of the person recently released from an aggravated exploitation situation. It also measures the progress of this person, step by step. People in care are thus accompanied in accessing primary needs and their approaches to access rights to the authorities, particularly for access to health coverage, or the opening of bank accounts.

For accommodation, the CCEM supports persons assisted under the common law mechanisms (115, SIAO, etc …) to find solutions for sheltering and housing. In addition, the CCEM has a 6-place emergency apartment for women leaving exploitation in exclusion.

At the level of psychological support, the CCEM acts through partnerships with specialized structures which allows the guidance of different people with mental disorders to professionals able to respond to their problems.

The professional integration action of the CCEM is carried by a volunteer (former professional integration) to accompany people for the construction of a path of integration, access to training, search for job, etc …
AWARENESS & TRAINING UNIT

Since its creation, the CCEM has focused on publicizing the reality of human trafficking for economic purposes, including domestic and contemporary forms of slavery. He also shares his expertise and the actions he puts in place to combat them and help victims to reintegrate into society. He is regularly asked to intervene throughout France on these issues.

The CCEM implements direct intervention with professionals, takes part in collective actions, or intervenes during colloquiums and seminars. This in order to raise awareness among the general public and to train first contact professionals. Our goal is to reach people who can help in the fight against trafficking for labor exploitation.

ADVOCACY

Since its creation, the CCEM has strived to raise awareness of the reality of human trafficking for economic purposes, in particular domestic and contemporary forms of slavery. The hundreds of legal procedures followed by the CCEM, since its creation, has provided in-depth knowledge of the obstacles within the current legislation and legal institutions in terms of penalizing human trafficking and compensating victims for its damaging consequences. With this expertise, the CCEM raises the awareness of the general public, trains professionals and works with public authorities to process cases of human trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation more efficiently.

Advocacy is an important part of the CCEM’s activity in that its expertise in the field of domestic slavery allows it to recommend changes to the law to deputies and senators or to participate in working groups both in France, Europe and abroad as an actor of civil society.

Broadly speaking, the CCEM advocates for :

  • The adoption by France of a national mechanism for the identification and reorientation of victims of human trafficking, allowing for a better collaboration between institutions and associations.
  • Better access to housing for victims of exploitation by work; the absence of housing being a factor of considerable vulnerability which can lead to exploitation or refusal to leave the area of exploitation.
  • Better access to psychological and psychiatric care in order to allow victims to rebuild themselves and to start their empowerment process.

Testimonies

Find our podcast series “Les entretiens libres du CCEM” (CCEM Open Interviews) on YouTube or   SoundCloud page.

Indika arrived in France from a foreign country with her employers and worked for a month in terrible conditions at the hotel where they were staying.

With the help of the hotel staff, she was able to file a complaint and receive support from the CCEM.

Today, Indika works at the same hotel, free and confident about the future.

Les Entretiens Libres

Saison I (2021)