Trafficking victims in Portugal were from Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland and some African countries.
[5] In 2023, the Organised Crime Index noted that Portugal was mainly a destination country for groups in Eastern Europe, China and Morocco.
In this case, the government convicted eight trafficking offenders for forcing 23 Romanian girls into prostitution, resulting in an average sentence of 12 years in prison.
Portugal prohibits trafficking in persons for both forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation through Article 160, which prescribes penalties of three to 12 years’ imprisonment - which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those for other serious crimes.
To help address this, law enforcement included NGO shelter staff on three “smart” raids during the reporting period to help stabilize victims immediately after the operation.
However, NGOs report overall funding is inadequate in order to provide critical specialized care required for trafficking victims.
The government reported all identified victims are permitted a 30- to 60-day reflection period during which to decide whether they wished to participate in a criminal investigation.
It took the lead in coordinating and implementing an EU-wide database to develop, consolidate, and share common indicators on trafficking among partner countries.
It also broadcast a daily program on state television to raise awareness among migrants in Portugal on a wide range of issues, including trafficking.
The government conducted anti-trafficking awareness training to troops before their deployment on international peacekeeping efforts abroad.