On 24 June 2026, Dr Hough from FUNDEA presented the intelligence analysis findings of the VANGUARD Project on Human Trafficking to the sixteen independent experts of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), the independent monitoring body responsible for evaluating the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The presentation formed part of the project’s ongoing contribution to advancing evidence-informed and intelligence-led responses to human trafficking across Europe. Drawing upon multidisciplinary research, the analysis examined emerging trafficking dynamics, organised criminal adaptation, and evolving patterns of exploitation. 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 across 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 recognised them as critical knowledge holders whose lived experience generates unique forms of intelligence often inaccessible through conventional investigative methods. Survivor-informed perspectives provide valuable insights into recruitment mechanisms, coercive control, exploitation pathways, barriers to disclosure, and institutional responses, strengthening both strategic and operational intelligence.
The subsequent discussion with GRETA experts highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between intelligence practitioners, researchers, survivors, law enforcement, civil society, and technology developers. Integrating these perspectives can strengthen early victim identification, enhance intelligence collection and analysis, support responsible technological innovation, and improve the disruption of organised trafficking networks while promoting sustainable recovery and resilience for survivors. The Horizon Europe VANGUARD Project continues to advance an intelligence-led, evidence-based, and human-centred approach to combating human trafficking by integrating rigorous intelligence analysis, survivor expertise, and responsible technological innovation to support more effective and ethically informed responses to one of Europe’s most complex forms of organised crime.