Page 110 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Human trafficking victims in Portugal:

Perceptions of service providers

Ângela Fernandes * and Marlene Matos 2
1
1 Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal
2 Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, R. da Universidade,
Braga, Portugal

Abstract

This study aims to explore the perceptions of service providers in Portugal, specifically
regarding (i) how victims of human trafficking are aided; (ii) the victims’ needs and
their understanding of the “condition of special vulnerability”; and (iii) the opinions
of service providers on the obstacles victims face in seeking and receiving assistance.
According to our research, most organizations offered assistance, ranging from legal
aid to food and lodging, to victims of all ages, genders, and forms of exploitation.
Participants recognized that the needs of human trafficking victims differ from
those of victims of other crimes, such as domestic abuse survivors, particularly in
terms of the unique challenges they face in rebuilding trust. They also identified
challenges in delivering assistance, including insufficient financial resources,
Academic editor: inadequate interinstitutional cooperation, and the victims’ lack of cooperation. Fear
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE of traffickers along with feelings of humiliation, embarrassment, and fear of reprisal
*Corresponding author: against themselves or their families were cited as major reasons why victims refuse
Ângela Fernandes assistance.
(angelaf@ufp.edu.pt)
Citation: Fernandes, Â. & Matos, M.
(2025). Human trafficking victims Keywords: Human trafficking; Victims; Service providers; Perceptions
in Portugal: Perceptions of service
providers. Global Health Econ
Sustain, 3(1):102-117.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3215 1. Introduction
Received: March 20, 2024
The first international definition of human trafficking (HT) by the United Nations was
Revised: July 11, 2024
presented in the 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Accepted: July 17, 2024 especially Women and Children, commonly referred to as the Palermo Protocol.
Published online: October 3, 2024 Over the years, the European Commission has issued several directives requiring
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). member states to enact laws to detect and combat HT. Among the most significant is
This is an Open-Access article Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011
distributed under the terms of the (p.6), which focuses on preventing and combating HT and protecting victims’ human
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution, rights by implementing protection and assistance mechanisms for crime prevention
and reproduction in any medium, and repression. This legal instrument aims to harmonize the substantive criminal
provided the original work is
properly cited. legislation and procedural standards of the Member States. The Palermo Protocol’s
acknowledgment of diverse forms of exploitation and evolving concepts of victims has
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with led to recent normative developments across various spheres in Europe, including the
regard to jurisdictional claims in social, political, legislative, and legal domains.
published maps and institutional
affiliations.

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 102 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3215