• Allow formal victim identification without requiring cooperation with law enforcement and by entities other than law enforcement officials, including by civil society, social workers, and healthcare professionals.
• Improve efforts to proactively identify trafficking victims, including Portuguese nationals, children, sex trafficking victims, and victims within the asylum-seeking population, by systematically training government officials to screen for trafficking among vulnerable groups.
• Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms, and ensure labor trafficking is pursued as such rather than as a labor code violation.
• Increase victims’ access to restitution and compensation and increase prosecutors’ efforts to systematically request restitution for survivors during criminal trials, including by training prosecutors and magistrates on victims’ right to restitution.
• Re-establish a specialized trafficking investigation unit.
• Consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including by enforcing the law prohibiting recruitment fees charged to migrant workers and holding fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable.
• Allocate additional resources and capacity for investigators and labor inspectors and train law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial officials on trafficking crimes.
• Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.
• Increase efforts to pursue financial crime investigations in tandem with human trafficking cases.

The government maintained anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts.

Article 160 of the penal code criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of three to 10 years’ imprisonment, which were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those for other grave crimes, such as rape. Some child sex trafficking crimes could also be prosecuted under Article 175, which addressed “pimping” crimes; it prescribed penalties of one to 10 years’ imprisonment. Article 159 prohibited slavery and prescribed penalties of five to 15 years’ imprisonment.

In 2023, the most recent year available for finalized and published government statistics, the Judiciary Police (PJ) initiated 191 human trafficking investigations, an increase compared with 140 in 2022. The government reported 107 investigations initiated in prior years remained ongoing. Prosecutors initiated legal proceedings against 11 suspects in 2023, all under trafficking statutes – a decrease compared with 35 prosecutions in 2022, and the lowest number of prosecutions in at least four years. Courts convicted less than three traffickers; due to Portuguese privacy laws, the government did not disclose the exact number of convictions when it totaled less than three. This was a decrease compared with 14 convictions in 2022 and the lowest number of convictions in at least four years. The government did not provide sentencing data for convicted traffickers. In previous years, judges often issued fully suspended sentences or issued only fines, which undercut efforts to hold traffickers accountable, weakened deterrence, created potential security and safety concerns for victims, and did not adequately reflect the nature of the crime. The government did not disaggregate between sex and labor trafficking for prosecutions and convictions. The government did not report any prosecutions or convictions of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes. However, the government investigated and arrested two Lisbon Municipal Police officers in October 2024 for alleged complicity in sex trafficking. The government did not report whether either officer was formally charged or held accountable.

The government dissolved the Foreigner and Borders Service (SEF), including the specialized investigative trafficking unit, and transferred responsibility for investigating trafficking crimes to several units within the PJ in October 2023; however, these units were never provided additional resources to compensate for the increased workload and remained without a specialized trafficking investigation unit. Experts expressed concern insufficient resources, institutional instability, and a loss of functional expertise hindered trafficking investigations. Observers reported certain police units did not prioritize trafficking cases without evidence of physical abuse because it was difficult to obtain convictions due to judges’ lack of understanding of coercion as a means of trafficking. Prosecutors noted difficulty in obtaining convictions for labor trafficking cases with an absence of force or violence; courts would often drop the trafficking charge and pursue crimes with lesser penalties, which affected a victim’s ability to obtain restitution. Judges often lacked sufficient knowledge regarding coercion and the severity of trafficking crimes and sometimes conflated human trafficking with migrant smuggling; experts recommended increased training for judges hearing trafficking cases. In March 2025, the new Attorney General launched a disciplinary inquiry against a magistrate who acquitted 20 defendants in a human trafficking case and prevented victims from appealing her decision in 2022. GRETA previously expressed concern the number of prosecutions and convictions was low compared with the number of victims identified and stressed the failure to convict traffickers undermined anti-trafficking efforts. GRETA urged the government to increase its efforts to ensure it classified trafficking cases as such and to pursue financial crime investigations in tandem with human trafficking charges.

In 2023, law enforcement cooperated on two joint action days and two international operations, organized by INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, and EUROPOL, and with dozens of participating countries, resulting in the identification of at least 2,510 potential victims, the arrest of at least 1,295 suspects, and the initiation of at least 507 new investigations across participating countries. SEF arrested at least two suspected traffickers via airport screening in 2023. However, after the disbanding of SEF, local police took over these screenings without receiving victim identification training. The government, in collaboration with government-funded civil society organizations, organized and delivered trainings to police and front-line officials on a variety of topics. In 2025, the Prosecutor General’s office published an action plan to centralize data collection and develop a new training plan for prosecutors.

The government maintained victim protection efforts.

In 2023, authorities and government-funded NGOs initially classified 650 individuals as “possible” trafficking victims (622 in Portugal, 15 abroad, and 13 unknown), compared with an initial 378 possible victims identified in 2022. Of the 650 possible trafficking victims, authorities “confirmed” 131 as trafficking victims after the conclusion of a criminal investigation. This was a significant increase compared with eight confirmed victims in 2022. Of the 131 confirmed victims, traffickers exploited 125 in labor trafficking and six in unspecified forms of trafficking; the government did not identify any confirmed sex trafficking victims. Of the 131 confirmed victims, 93 were adults; 36 were children; two were of an unknown age; two were female; 129 were male; at least one was a Portuguese national; and at least 103 were foreign nationals. Front-line responders could identify and refer “presumed” victims to services, but only law enforcement officials or, in exceptional circumstances, the national rapporteur, could formally confirm an individual as a trafficking victim. In 2023, of the original 650 possible victims, NGOs identified 139 presumed victims, while an additional 140 victims with ongoing investigations continued as presumed victims, and the remaining victims were determined not to be trafficking victims – this totaled 279 presumed victims. This was an increase compared with 241 presumed victims identified in 2022. Of the 279 presumed victims, at least 214 were presumed victims of labor trafficking (mostly in agriculture); at least seven were presumed sex trafficking victims; at least 26 were Portuguese; at least 20 were children, and 242 were adults; and at least 214 were men, and 64 were women. The majority of presumed victims were foreign nationals, including from Brazil, Colombia, Timor Leste, and Nepal.

The government required victims to interact with law enforcement to obtain formal victim identification; police, judges, and prosecutors determined whether to confirm a victim by analyzing evidence and the presence of trafficking indicators. NGOs and GRETA noted, in practice, formal identification of victims depended on the initiation of an investigation and the outcome of criminal proceedings. GRETA reported there was no timeline for authorities to confirm official victim status, and NGOs reported, due to insufficient resources for law enforcement, formal victim confirmation took a significant amount of time. If law enforcement re-classified a trafficking case as a non-trafficking crime during legal proceedings, victims remained presumed rather than confirmed. In past years, presumed victims experienced difficulties accessing services due to their lack of formal confirmation. Under the new NAP, the government issued specific guidelines regarding victim services, reiterating formal victim confirmation and law enforcement interaction should not be required for victims to access services. Despite increases in identification, significant gaps remained; for at least the fifth consecutive year, the government did not report identifying any victims among the asylum-seeking population and comparatively few children and Portuguese nationals. GRETA previously noted organizations working with undocumented migrants and operating reception centers for asylum-seekers lacked knowledge of trafficking indicators, and there were no SOPs once victims were identified.

The government continued to utilize its NRM, which was widely used and distributed to all relevant front-line officials. The government also continued to utilize a child-specific NRM. Upon request, the Observatory on Trafficking of Human Beings continued to distribute checklists to front-line officials on identifying trafficking victims. The government continued to provide a publicly available victim identification handbook to labor inspectors and other front-line officials. One of the five regional government-funded multidisciplinary NGO teams initially identified most victims. Upon encountering a possible victim, law enforcement personnel conducted an initial standardized risk assessment and systematically referred individuals deemed vulnerable or at risk to one of the multidisciplinary NGO teams to receive specialized shelter and assistance. Collaboration and coordination between the multidisciplinary NGO teams and law enforcement was inconsistent; some teams experienced communication issues and fewer victim referrals, while others reported that coordination remained strong. Multidisciplinary teams often accompanied law enforcement on operations to provide immediate psychological, social, and legal assistance to any presumed victims.

In 2022 and 2023, the government maintained its funding amount for trafficking shelters, victim repatriation, and the multidisciplinary regional teams at €2 million ($2.08 million), though €770,000 ($801,249) was allocated through the EU; this was an increase compared with €1.5 million ($1.56 million) in 2021. NGOs reported funding was insufficient and inconsistent and stated the process to obtain government funding lacked transparency. Adult victims and their children had the right to shelter, health care, psycho-social care, legal assistance, translation and interpretation services, a reintegration program, and education and employment training. Government data on victim services only included victims staying in government-funded shelters. The government provided 57 presumed victims with assistance and shelter in 2023, a decrease compared with 67 presumed victims in 2022. Additionally, the government provided long-term care to 34 victims from prior years who remained in government shelters. The government enrolled eight labor trafficking victims in its reintegration program in 2023, which included accommodation in an independent apartment. The government had five government-funded NGO-operated shelters exclusively for all types of trafficking victims, including two for adult female victims and their minor children, two for adult male victims, and one for children. Multidisciplinary regional teams reported shelter availability was sufficient for the demand. Adult victims could leave the shelters at will unless authorities determined the victim’s safety was at risk. Child victims received care under Portugal’s child protection system or through its shelter for child trafficking victims, which could accommodate up to seven children.

The law entitled victims to a recovery and reflection period of 30 to 60 days, during which they could decide whether to participate in criminal proceedings. During this period, victims had access to emergency medical treatment, psychological assistance, protection, interpretation, and legal assistance. The law also entitled victims to a one-year residence permit if they chose to participate in criminal proceedings or had concerns regarding their security, health, family situation, or vulnerability; authorities could renew this permit indefinitely. The government issued 24 temporary residence permits to victims in 2023, an increase compared with five permits in 2022. However, NGOs noted legal services and residency permits could be difficult for victims to obtain if they are not living in a government-funded shelter. Waiting periods for obtaining a residence permit could be lengthy, which could result in victims missing important judicial deadlines. NGOs reported that, following the dissolution of SEF, officials were confused about the process for issuing residence permits to victims, resulting in additional delays and failures to waive fees. The government reported presumed and confirmed victims had access to services regardless of their participation in criminal proceeding; however, civil society noted that outside the recovery and reflection period access to legal aid, health services, and work permits without a residence permit were particularly challenging for undocumented presumed trafficking victims to obtain.

Law 130/2015 entitled all trafficking victims to a special status that guaranteed the use of specialized interview rooms by trained experts. Courts permitted some victims to testify by deposition or video conference, and it was required for children. The law entitled victims to psychological assistance during interviews and accompaniment by a trusted person, as well as access to interpreters. The law allowed for the victim’s identity to remain concealed during trial and for the defendant to be removed from court during the victim’s testimony. The government reported systematically informing victims of their rights to free legal aid, to be accompanied by a lawyer at any time, to claim damages or request compensation in accordance with the law, and to interpretation. GRETA previously urged the government to take further steps to ensure all victims, including third-country nationals, could effectively access legal assistance as soon as there were reasonable grounds for victim identification.

The government continued to lack comprehensive data on restitution, damages, and compensation awarded to victims. In instances where victims did not request restitution, the Public Prosector’s office was responsible for doing so on their behalf. The government did not report whether any victims received restitution in 2023. Portuguese law allowed victims to file civil suits against traffickers, but the government did not report whether any victims filed such suits in 2023. Victims could also seek compensation from the government if the convicted trafficker was unable to pay the awarded damages or restitution; however, the government did not report whether this occurred in 2023. GRETA recommended the government increase its efforts to guarantee victims’ access to restitution and compensation; increase its efforts to ensure confiscation of traffickers’ assets as compensation for victims; and increase training on victims’ access to compensation to legal practitioners, prosecutors, and the judiciary. GRETA reported the lack of a specific provision in Portuguese law protecting victims from being inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked could leave them vulnerable to prosecution.

The government increased prevention efforts.

The government’s multi-stakeholder anti-trafficking network, the Support and Protection Network for Victims of Trafficking (RAPVT), met an unknown number of times in 2024 and was led by the national rapporteur on trafficking; RAPVT included representatives from various central and local government agencies and three NGOs. The government adopted a 2025-2027 NAP in December 2024; the government’s previous NAP expired in 2021. NGOs reported positive collaboration with the government during the NAP’s drafting process. The updated NAP’s objectives included improving victim identification, protection, and access to services; ensuring reliability of government anti-trafficking data; and increasing collaboration between NGOs and law enforcement. The NAP established a coordination committee to monitor its implementation. The government did not allocate a specific budget for NAP implementation; each ministry’s activities in support of the NAP were funded through the national budget as part of the ministry’s larger anti-trafficking mandates. The government published several annual reports on human trafficking. The government conducted various national and regional awareness campaigns and made awareness-raising materials publicly available in multiple languages. Each of the five multidisciplinary government-funded NGO teams operated a hotline, available 24 hours a day and in two languages, and the government continued to operate a general hotline for children in danger, including child trafficking victims; additionally, a government-funded NGO operated a shelter and protection center phone line. The government did not report the number of cases initiated or victims identified from calls to the various hotlines.

The government required temporary employment agencies to obtain a license to operate and prohibited them from charging a recruitment or placement fee to workers. Though illegal under Portuguese law, law enforcement asserted the imposition of recruitment fees still frequently occurred and could increase workers’ vulnerability to debt bondage. Portuguese law criminalized passport withholding and contract switching – key indicators of trafficking. Law enforcement noted difficulty in pursuing cases against subcontractors or intermediary companies, particularly in the agricultural sector; subcontractors would often close their business and re-open under another name. The government reported foreign workers were able to change employers without prior government permission, which decreased their vulnerability to trafficking. Fraudulent labor recruitment remained a concern, but the government took some effective law enforcement steps against several businesses, including the arrest and conviction of several traffickers. However, efforts were neither comprehensive nor proportional with the suspected scale. GRETA noted a need to strengthen monitoring and regulation of temporary employment and recruitment agencies, especially those employing and recruiting domestic workers. Labor inspectors did not have the authority to identify victims, a dedicated budget, or staff to detect labor trafficking cases, but they could refer suspected cases to the police. GRETA previously urged the government to address legislative gaps relating to subcontracting companies, strengthen labor inspections, and continue to raise awareness of labor trafficking. The government did not provide anti-trafficking training to its diplomatic personnel or to its troops prior to their deployment as peacekeepers. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts.

Trafficking affects all communities. This section summarizes government and civil society reporting on the nature and scope of trafficking over the past five years. Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Portugal, and traffickers exploit victims from Portugal abroad. Traffickers facilitate the transfer of asylum-seeking women and children to Portugal and obtain false documents before moving them to other European countries for sex trafficking. Sub-Saharan trafficking networks sometimes use Portugal as a route into the Schengen area to exploit children for both sex trafficking and forced labor. Traffickers increasingly exploit victims from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan in labor trafficking using debt-based coercion. Traffickers often use fraudulent recruitment methods to exploit Portuguese victims in restaurants, agriculture, and domestic service, primarily in Portugal and Spain. Labor traffickers exploit foreign victims in agriculture, construction, and domestic service; seasonal migrant workers are especially vulnerable to trafficking. Labor traffickers exploit soccer players using fraudulent recruitment; these victims are often children and young adults, primarily from South America and Africa. Traffickers exploit victims on farms located in the interior of the Alentejo region or the Norte region, where they are comparatively isolated. Traffickers exploit children from Eastern Europe, including Romani children, for forced begging and forced criminal activity in Portugal. Refugees, predominantly women and children fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war, are vulnerable to trafficking. Organized criminal groups exploit Southeast Asians in labor trafficking in shellfish harvesting. In 2023, the government signed an agreement with Cuba to bring 300 Cuban medical professionals to Portugal; however, due to licensing requirements and other complications, as well as concerns about well-documented forced labor in the Cuban Export Program, the government has deemed the agreement untenable and confirms that it has no intention of bringing Cuban workers to Portugal. Members of civil society who had expressed concern about the program also believe there are no Cuban workers in Portugal. According to an NGO, a Portuguese public institution – indirectly operated by the government – and an international organization previously funded Cuban regime-affiliated workers in Guinea-Bissau who may have been forced to work by the Cuban regime; the government confirmed the program ended in 2021.