TIES – IRC Deutschland | Deutsche Programme

Description:	The EU-funded project TIES (Transnational Initiative on Enhancing early (Self)Identification of Victims of labour exploitation and forced criminality) is committed to identifying, referring and protecting third-country nationals who are at risk of, or affected by, labour exploitation or forced criminality.
Time period:	June 2025 – May 2027
Email:	Filip.Mitrovski@Rescue.org

Approach

TIES follows a three-tiered approach:

1. Promoting Self-Identification

Through digital streetwork, mobile counseling, and targeted awareness campaigns, potential victims are directly addressed – both online and offline. The goal is to provide them with information about their rights, protection options, and available support services. A special focus is placed on minors, who are often hard to reach and particularly at risk.

2. Raising Awareness Among Professionals

Key stakeholders such as police authorities, correctional services, municipalities, and social service providers are equipped through training sessions and practical resources to recognise signs of exploitation and safely refer victims to appropriate support services.

3. Strengthening Systems

At both national and EU level, TIES brings together specialist organisations, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to develop and promote recommendations for improved identification and protection mechanisms.

Case Studies

*Names and identifying details have been changed.

Malik* is a young third-country national living in Greece. He worked in a restaurant for nine to ten hours a day, six days a week, and was paid below the statutory standards. His employer also failed to officially register his employment or provide him with an employment contract, instead paying him in cash. During an information session organised as part of the TIES project, specialised social workers from ARSIS advised him about his employment rights, the risks associated with informal work and the support services available to him. With his consent, he was referred to an appropriate advisory service. He subsequently left his job at the restaurant and enrolled in a training course to improve his future employment prospects.

Samir came to Italy from Morocco after an acquaintance promised him a job, accommodation and support. But he had been deceived: once he arrived in Italy, he had to pay the acquaintance extra money for supposed administrative procedures. For more than a year, Samir worked in the fields without a contract, for very low wages and under repeated threats of violence. After he came across Dedalus through the TIES social media campaign on Facebook and got in touch with the organisation, he received legal and psychosocial support. He reported the acquaintance and other perpetrators to the authorities and, as a victim of trafficking, applied for international protection. Today, he works as a gardener and is taking an Italian course to build a future in Italy.

Masha* fled from Ukraine to Germany and accepted what appeared to be a legitimate job at a hotel. Instead of fair working conditions, she was subjected to labour exploitation. She was required to work long hours without adequate rest breaks, received very low and irregular pay, and lived in poor housing conditions. Through an information session organised by JADWIGA as part of the TIES project, she recognised her situation as labour exploitation. With support from a specialist counselling centre, she was able to leave the exploitative situation, received protection and a residence permit as a victim of human trafficking, and later found regular employment under fair working conditions.