While Spain formally adopts a victim-centered, human rights-based approach to trafficking, institutional gaps persist—particularly regarding labor exploitation and child trafficking, which data show are increasingly significant. This panel integrates three studies scrutinizing how Spanish institutions detect, identify, and assist these often-invisible victims. The contributions ask: (1) How effective is the institutional response to human trafficking in Spain? (2) What are the remaining challenges in assisting victims of trafficking for labor exploitation? and (3) What obstacles hinder the effective protection of unaccompanied foreign minors who are trafficking victims, and how can these be overcome? The first study analyzes a national survey of 150 anti-trafficking agencies. The second draws on 34 in-depth interviews with victim-service providers in labor trafficking cases across Spain, while the third is based on 15 qualitative interviews with public and third-sector professionals working with trafficked unaccompanied minors in Catalonia. Findings reveal an institutional focus on the sexual exploitation of foreign women, leaving labor trafficking and child victims markedly underserved. Professionals report serious shortcomings in detection, identification procedures, specialized training, inter-agency coordination, tailored assistance programs, and access to residency and compensation. The panel calls for decoupling victim protection from migration control, mainstreaming labor trafficking and child-specific safeguards, and institutionalizing multi-agency, trauma-informed, and culturally competent responses. It urges policymakers and practitioners to translate victim-centered rhetoric into enforceable rights and adequate resources for all forms of exploitation.
Carolina Villacampa is a Full Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Lleida (Spain). Recipient of the 2022 ICREA Academia Award for research excellence, she has specialized in human trafficking for over a decade, establishing herself as a leading expert in the field.
Clàudia Torres is an Assistant Professor of Procedural Law at the University of Lleida (Spain). Her research specializes in criminal and procedural law, with a particular focus on human trafficking and its intersections with economic crime.
Rubén Espuny is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Lleida (Spain). He specializes in the trafficking of minors, combining substantive and procedural criminal law analysis with welfare and support measures. His work promotes a comprehensive, victim-centered approach for minors.