Project description
ICARUS is an ambitious project that addresses a well-documented and relevant trafficking chain that takes roots in rural counties of Southern Romania and reaches major cities in the UK. The question of exit procedures for Romanian minors (i.e. Procura issued by public notaries upon request of family members or third parties) is an integral part of this trafficking chain.
Partners: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) [UK]; Terre des hommes Budapest [HU]; National Agency Against Trafficking Persons (ANITP) [RO]; General Direction for Child Protection (GDCP) [RO] National Union of Public Notaries in Romania (UNNPR) [RO]
ICARUS will improve the knowledge base of trafficking of vulnerable groups involved in child begging and other forms of labor exploitation. We will do that by running a joint research with separate components in the UK and Romania. National Society for the Prevention of Cruely to Children (NSPCC) [UK] in the UK will collect aggregate data on legal information and papers carried by Romanian unaccompanied traveling minors begging in major cities in the UK.
In Romania TdH and ANITP will collect and analyze data from public notaries and relevant authorities in four target counties. We will introduce new models for collaboration between child care agencies/NGOs, local authorities and police to facilitate the information flow on Romanian unaccompanied traveling minors and trafficked children in the UK. NSPCC and Tdh Romania will conduct joint training sessions for social workers, police, health professionals and members of Consultative Community Committees (CCCs).
The project will improve victim assistance and identification among practitioners who come into contact with victims or potential victims of trafficking, with a view to improving discharged and mandated duties.
We will provide tools and guides to assist identification of victims in the UK which are incorporated into the UK Government National Referral Mechanism, enhancing, sharing and aligning them with local and national protection frameworks in Romania. ICARUS will develop an online resource – online knowledge hub, where practitioners in Romania and UK can connect, access and share resources, training and support.
Tdh and ANITP will design and deliver trainings that incorporate knowledge and experience to combine/reconcile counter-trafficking efforts with child welfare. The training program will target 185 Notaries and associated staff/law students. Dissemination efforts will reach 75% of all public notaries offices across Romania. Members of 10 CCCs in trafficking prone areas will be trained. In the UK, NSPCC will deliver awareness raising campaigns amongst 285 Roma families, targeting community leaders.
Dissemination will be ensured through printed materials mailed individually (available in EN and RO), training videos, online resource, documentary film, mobile/tablet application, posters, personal meetings, news disseminated through the website “Child Protection in Europe” run by Tdh.
Some of the results of the ICARUS activities can be accesed below.
ICARUS movie
Best practice examples
ICARUS poster
ICARUS mobile app and download link
This project is co-funded by the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme of the European Union