3071-The political economy of new slavery

76 The Belgian Counter-trafficking Policy
of trafficking in human beings became one of the cornerstones of a
security plan which will work in accordance with the concept of
complete control of every aspect of security. This control of security is
implemented in the form of a chain, consisting of a preventative link,
a repressive link and the after-care of both victims and perpetrators of
crime.
A short history of the Belgian counter-trafficking policy
As mentioned above, the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings
caught the public’s attention in Belgium with the publication of the book
They are So Sweet, Sir, in which the author discussed the commercial
sexual exploitation, in Belgium, of women originating from Eastern
Europe, South-east Asia and West Africa and the misperception by the
Belgian government, in particular the law enforcement bodies (De Stoop,
1992). As a consequence, a Parliamentary Investigation Committee was
established which was given the task of developing a structural countertrafficking
policy. The work of the committee resulted in a profound
report on trafficking in human beings including a comprehensive set of
policy recommendations in 1994. 3 The recommended policy is mainly
characterized by the central focus given to victims of trafficking in
human beings on the one hand, and on the need for a multidisciplinary
approach in the fight against this form of organized crime. Contrary
to Belgian tradition, the parliamentary activities and recommendations
were implemented immediately by the government (De Ruyver and
Fijnaut, 1994). In the first place, a circular was issued regarding the
granting of residence and work permits to migrant victims of trafficking
(Belgian Statute Book, 7 July 1994); this has been followed by the
amendment of the Belgian Criminal Code and the Immigration Law
regarding access to the country, stay, residence and removal of foreigners
with a view to explicitly criminalizing trafficking in human beings and
reforming legislation regarding prostitution. 4 A third initiative was the
assignment of core responsibility for the humanitarian perspective and
follow up to the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Combating Racism,
a governmental institution, and finally, there was the obligation of the
government to report annually to parliament on the implementation of
the law(s) on trafficking in human beings in general.
The annual reports of the Centre for Equal Opportunities and
Combating Racism kept the problem of trafficking in human beings
high on the political agenda. In 2000 the Belgian Senate installed a subcommission
on Trafficking in Human Beings and Prostitution with the