Thank you, Madam Chair.
I again thank the witnesses for being with us today.
The National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking was launched in 2012 and the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was launched in 2019. Yet, the numbers continue to show that the number of human trafficking victims is increasing.
You even said that trafficking affects women particularly. According to your latest figures, women and girls account for 96% of cases. That's really striking.
But what's even worse is that we suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg. It is a very sensitive issue, but it seems that women and girls who are trafficked find it difficult to speak out. They probably also feel a certain lack of confidence about how they can be helped if they report it. They have already said so. Whistleblowing also leads to fear.
Why do the victims not trust the system and the different institutions that deal with human trafficking?
Clearly, there is a problem with lack of trust.
Mr. Anson, please be frank; since the launch of the last National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking in 2019, how has your work evolved in relation to the detection of human trafficking cases?
Do you feel better equipped in 2023 to prevent and detect these cases?