Category: VANGUARD

On June 24, researcher Karen Hough, representing the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, presented the conclusions of the VANGUARD Project’s intelligence analysis on human trafficking to the sixteen independent experts of GRETA (Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings). This Council of Europe body is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the matter in Strasbourg.

This presentation is part of the project’s contribution to advancing intelligence-led responses to trafficking across Europe. Drawing on multidisciplinary research, the analysis examined emerging trafficking dynamics, the adaptation of organized crime, and shifting exploitation patterns. The findings provide a strategic evidence base to inform policy development, operational decision-making, victim identification, and the responsible deployment of advanced technological tools to support the prevention, detection, and disruption of trafficking networks in both national and transnational contexts.

A central focus of the presentation was the epistemological and operational value of survivor expertise within intelligence-led responses to human trafficking. Rather than positioning survivors solely as recipients of protection and assistance, the analysis recognized them as critical repositories of knowledge whose lived experiences generate unique forms of intelligence that are often inaccessible through conventional research methods.

Survivor-informed perspectives provide valuable insights into recruitment mechanisms, coercive control, exploitation pathways, barriers to reporting, and institutional responses, strengthening both strategic and operational intelligence. Furthermore, the presentation argued that survivor expertise must be integrated not only into policy and operational practice, but also into the design and monitoring of technologies aimed at combating human trafficking.

The subsequent discussion with GRETA underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among intelligence professionals, researchers, survivors, law enforcement, civil society, and technology developers. Integrating these perspectives can reinforce early victim identification, enhance intelligence collection and analysis, support responsible technological innovation, and optimize the disruption of organized trafficking networks, while promoting the sustainable recovery and resilience of survivors.

Human Trafficking for the Purpose of Forced Criminality on the Rise in Europe

In its latest annual report, GRETA expressed concern over the increase in human trafficking for the purpose of forced criminality, urging European Union member states to step up victim identification and effectively apply the non-punishment principle. The report, which reviews progress in implementing the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, highlights that people’s vulnerabilities are increasingly being exploited to force them into committing crimes, ranging from shoplifting and forced begging to cannabis cultivation, drug trafficking, and online financial fraud.

Victims are typically recruited through fake job offers on social media and internet platforms, with minors and individuals in situations of extreme social exclusion or precarious migration status being the most affected groups. The report emphasizes that many of these victims are not recognized as such by law enforcement and judicial authorities, which causes them to end up being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for the crimes they were coerced into committing, rather than receiving the protection and assistance they are entitled to under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

On June 10, the 1st Iberian Congress / XV Spanish Congress of Criminology (SIEC) hosted the presentation of the research paper “Repositioning the Role of ICTs and AI in Combating Human Trafficking.”

The study was conducted by Karen Latricia Hough and Noelia Gómez Bosque (Euro-Arab Foundation), Theodora Tsikrika, Despoina Chatzakou, and Theoni Spathi (CERTH), alongside Tatiana Duarte Nicolau (University of Granada), in collaboration with KU Leuven. Drawing from the findings of the Horizon Europe VANGUARD project, the research analyzed how anti-trafficking efforts have struggled to respond to the growing digital dimensions of human trafficking, while perpetrators increasingly weaponize AI and digital technologies to facilitate recruitment, coercion, and exploitation.

Based on more than 220 sources and 67 in-depth interviews with survivors, perpetrators, law enforcement, border guards, policymakers, NGOs, and experts, the study identified major vulnerabilities in current anti-trafficking responses. These include:

• Fragmentation of data systems.
• An over-reliance on reactive policing approaches.
• Limited involvement of survivors.
• Risks posed by algorithmic bias and the misuse of surveillance technologies.

The presentation also highlighted how online trafficking and poly-exploitation (which encompasses sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and labor exploitation) continue to evolve faster than many institutional responses. To address this, the VANGUARD project introduced AI-driven tools, co-developed with key stakeholders, to help anticipate and disrupt digital trafficking pathways.

However, the researchers emphasized that technology alone cannot solve systemic challenges. The presentation called for stronger human rights protections, enhanced training for front-line staff, refined regulatory frameworks, and more inclusive, survivor-centered innovation processes.

The paper concluded by advocating for a paradigm shift: moving from fragmented and reactive anti-trafficking strategies toward coordinated, evidence-based, and ethically grounded approaches that are better adapted to the realities of the digital age.

The 1st Iberian Congress / XV Spanish Congress of Criminology, organized under the slogan “Shared Horizons in Criminology” between June 10 and 12, is promoted by the Spanish Society for Criminological Research (SEIC) alongside its Portuguese counterparts. This scientific gathering serves as a strategic forum to debate the most pressing methodological, theoretical, and practical challenges within the discipline.

On 28 May, the Euro-Arab Foundation’s researcher, Karen Latricia Hough, in collaboration with Marina Garcia Carmona (UGR) delivered a seminar for students enrolled in the Master’s Programme in Peace and Cooperation entitled “From Coercion to VANGUARD: Advanced Technological and Societal Solutions to Disrupt Trafficking in Human Beings” at the University if Granada.

The seminar presented the VANGUARD project, its methodologies, and its anticipated impact in addressing trafficking in human beings (THB). The session actively engaged students and other stakeholders present, in reflection and discussion on the challenges posed by THB and the role of innovation in prevention and detection.

The seminar introduced the multidisciplinary approach of the VANGUARD project in combating THB and demonstrated how trustworthy artificial intelligence could support the detection and prevention of online-facilitated trafficking activities, including those occurring at border checkpoints. Participants also explored the societal, ethical, and behavioural dimensions of THB, while being encouraged to think critically about their own role in prevention and responsible engagement.

A particularly innovative aspect of the seminar was the presentation of awareness-raising tools developed within the project, including the serious game Red Flags.

The game, created entirely from the innovative research conducted within the VANGUARD project with survivors of THB, frontline practitioners, policy makers and perpetrators, provided students with an interactive opportunity to engage with the subject matter. During the session, students tested the game’s usability, played through its scenarios, and provided valuable feedback and recommendations. Their participation represented an important contribution to the ongoing development and refinement of the project’s educational and awareness-raising activities.

On 22 May 2026, the Euro-Arab Foundation researcher, Karen Latricia Hough, alongside Despoina Chatzakou and Theoni Spath from CERTH, Roberto Acquaviva (ENG) and Sara Diez and Jiang Zhicheng (Bull), delivered an online presentation of the Horizon Europe VANGUARD Project to the Anti-Trafficking Unit of the Guardia Civil at Madrid Headquarters.

The session showcased the project’s innovative approach to combating trafficking in human beings through the integration of advanced AI-supported technologies, operational intelligence tools, and multidisciplinary social-scientific research. The presentation highlighted how the VANGUARD project is developing ethical, human-centred, and technologically advanced solutions to strengthen the prevention, detection, and investigation of trafficking networks across Europe.

Key social-scientific findings emerging from the project’s ongoing research activities were presented, including insights into evolving trafficking patterns, victim protection considerations, and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing operational responses and cross-border cooperation among law-enforcement and security stakeholders. Researchers also conducted an online demonstration of the VANGUARD ToolSuite, presenting capabilities designed to support law-enforcement authorities in identifying trafficking activities, analysing complex criminal networks, and improving intelligence-led investigations.

Funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme, the VANGUARD Project brings together leading research organisations, technology providers, and security stakeholders to advance innovative, ethical, and collaborative solutions against trafficking in human beings.

The Euro-Arab Foundation is part of the consortium of this project, which began in 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in December of this year, 2026.

On 4 March, researcher Karen Hough from the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies delivered a specialised training session for police and border control officers in Romania, focusing on the growing risks of human trafficking in digital environments. This initiative was directly informed by the research results of the VANGUARD project, which analyses how exploitation is increasingly shifting into online spaces.

The training aimed to equip frontline professionals with advanced knowledge and practical tools to identify, prevent, and disrupt trafficking activities at their earliest stages. Drawing on evidence generated by VANGUARD, the session addressed key risk factors, vulnerability indicators, and emerging strategies used by criminal networks, such as online grooming, misuse of digital platforms, and concealment techniques. It also emphasised the practical application of this knowledge, translating project findings into operational solutions to strengthen detection capabilities, improve victim protection, and enhance cross-border cooperation between agencies.

The Fundación Euroárabe de Altos Estudios is actively involved in the European Horizon Europe VANGUARD project, an international initiative aimed at strengthening the fight against human trafficking through advanced technological solutions, specialised training, and collaboration between key stakeholders. The project brings together a broad consortium of European research institutions, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations, and focuses on improving the detection, investigation, and prevention of trafficking, particularly in its online and cross-border dimensions, through the development of artificial intelligence and data analysis tools.

On March 4, Karen Hough, a researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, delivered specialised training for police and border control officers in Romania, focusing on the growing risks of human trafficking in digital environments. This initiative was directly supported by the research findings of the VANGUARD project, which examines how exploitation is increasingly shifting toward online spaces.

The training aimed to equip frontline professionals with advanced knowledge and practical tools to identify, prevent, and dismantle trafficking activities in their early stages. Based on evidence generated by VANGUARD, the session addressed risk factors, indicators of vulnerability, and new strategies used by criminal networks, such as digital grooming, the misuse of online platforms, and concealment techniques. In addition, the session emphasised the practical application of this knowledge, transforming the project’s findings into operational solutions that strengthen detection capabilities, improve victim protection, and promote cross-border cooperation among agencies.

The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies is actively involved in the European Horizon Europe VANGUARD project, an international initiative aimed at strengthening the fight against human trafficking through advanced technological solutions, specialised training, and cooperation among key stakeholders. The project brings together a broad consortium of European research institutions, law enforcement agencies, and social organizations, and focuses on improving the detection, investigation, and prevention of trafficking (particularly in its online and cross-border dimensions) through the development of tools based on artificial intelligence and data analysis.