Led by Hope and Homes for Children, a joint contribution was drafted to offer inputs to the process of review of EU’s Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. The contribution, which was endorsed by 12 other organisations, including Child Identity Protection (CHIP), placed particular emphasis on strengthening the Directive ‘by adding a special mention of the phenomenon of institution-related trafficking and introducing specific measures to uphold the rights of all children, including children deprived of parental care’. ‘Institution-related trafficking constitutes a threat to a broad range of childrens rights’, including the creation and preservation of placed children’s identity and the increased risk of trafficking for children, whose births have not been registered. Thus, with a view to preventing undue modification or falsification of children’s identity as well as at restoring it if there are missing elements, CHIP hopes for these inputs to be given due consideration and recognition at regional level.

The suggested amendments have now been shared with the European Commission and several Members of the European Parliament as well as relevant EU offices and representations of Member States. CHIP reiterates its willingness to continue working with partner organisations on these issues and to ensure that the child’s right to identity is increasingly recognised and enshrined in relevant international and regional instruments.

See: Hope and Homes for Children et al. (21 March 2023). https://www.hopeandhomes.org/publications/contribution-to-the-european-commission-consultation-on-fighting-human-trafficking/.