Europol coordinated EMPACT Joint Action Days (JADs) targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation purposes between 10 and 17 June 2023.
The JADs were led by the Netherlands and carried out by law enforcement and labour authorities from 31 countries with support from Eurojust, the European Labour Authority and Frontex.
Over 27,000 officers carried out inspections in a total of 11,360 locations in a range of sectors, including gastronomy, agriculture and the beauty industry, focusing in particular on the exploitation of non-EU nationals and refugees. Over the span of the action week, 65,839 individuals and 22,958 vehicles were checked.
As a result of these checks, 57 suspects were identified and 21 were arrested for labour exploitation, with a total of 261 victims identified. Data gathered during the operation has led to the launch of 86 new investigations in order to identify further potential suspects and victims linked to human trafficking cases across the EU and abroad.
