Trafficking of Women into the European Union

This article examines the trafficking of women from third party countries into the European Union for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The author begins by providing an overview of trafficking in the European Union, setting out the scope of the problem and describing the experience of trafficked women. A description is then given of the responses to the trafficking problem by the EU and by individual EU member states. She concludes by suggesting actions the EU and member states must take to combat the trafficking problem. She contends that the EU and its member states must not only take steps to prevent women from being brought into the EU for the purpose of sexual exploitation, they must also prosecute traffickers, and provide social support for victims. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, International - Europe]