Filenews 14 February 2026 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
An important development in the issue of trafficking in human beings has recently taken place, which is expected to give impetus to the fight against the phenomenon that has catastrophic consequences and at the same time spreads its tentacles to organized crime.
After perfect consultation and coordination between the Minister of Justice, Kostas Fytiris, and the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Ioannidis, the management of the issue of human trafficking is transferred from the Deputy Ministry to the Ministry of Justice. This was the result of the cooperation that preceded, since the long-term gaps in the coordination of the competent Services for the fight against the phenomenon and in the management of the victims were identified.
As is well known, the National Coordinator for human trafficking was the Ministry of Interior, where it functioned as the body that coordinated all the co-competent Services involved in the fight against trafficking in human beings and the management of persons recognized as victims of trafficking. From time to time there were various disagreements regarding the coordination of these services (Social Welfare Services, Police, Ministries of Interior, Justice, Health, Education, etc.) resulting in certain problems.
With the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Immigration, the issues of human trafficking were transferred to it by the Ministry of the Interior, while the prosecuting role continues to be held by the Police through the Office for Combating Human Trafficking. Now, it was judged that it would be in the best interest for the management of these issues to transfer the issue of human trafficking to the Ministry of Justice, which would now function as a National Coordinator. To achieve this goal, the two ministers had begun contacts with a happy ending.
What remains is to prepare an amending bill, which, after being approved by the Council of Ministers, will be sent to the Parliament for approval, so that the issue of human trafficking can now be handled by the Ministry of Justice, which through the Police will better coordinate the efforts of both prevention and repression. It is noted that trafficking in human beings has also been linked to the activities of organized crime, since networks from abroad send mainly women here for trafficking for sexual purposes or even men for labour trafficking. This is a global phenomenon that brings huge profits to the rings, while as it has been established, in Cyprus the main form of human trafficking was in the sending of women from Balkan countries for the purpose of trafficking in beer gardens or elsewhere, or in the transport of Roma women either to sell them as brides, or to exploit them in begging.
