Half-hearted protection: what does victim protection really mean for victims of trafficking in Europe?

Anna (not her real name) was trafficked into forced prostitution from Eastern into Western Europe. She was 'rescued' during a police raid for being in the country illegally, and at the moment of arrest was given two choices: either make a statement against the trafficker and gain a temporary right of residence to stay in that country in order to testify; or else return back to her home country immediately. In this paper I look at the kind of measures taken in some European Union countries to protect trafficked persons, particularly regarding temporary rights to stay for victims of trafficking, and suggest what else needs to be taken into account in order to combat the problem more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]