Help with trafficking and labour or sexual exploitation

Key rules

• Status: You can get help from helplines and NGOs even without residence papers.
• Identification: Only the specialised police units, with the Fiscalía, decide whether you are formally identified as a victim; an NGO can support you but not decide.
• Reflection period: You get at least 90 days to recover with no expulsion, and you do not have to decide on cooperating straight away.
• Helpline: 900 105 090 is free and confidential; call 112 if you are in immediate danger.

Where to get help now

You can get help whatever your papers are. You do not need residence documents to call, to speak to an NGO or to be treated as a possible victim.

If you are in danger right now, call 112. If you want advice first, call the trafficking helpline on 900 105 090. It is free and confidential, and you can also write to it on WhatsApp. Other numbers are in the checklist below.

If you are a woman or girl who is also a victim of gender violence, 016 is another 24-hour line. It works in many languages and does not show on the phone bill.

Specialist NGOs

NGOs are often the easiest first step. They can arrange safe accommodation, legal and psychological help, interpreting, and support with identification and residence. Well-known ones include Proyecto Esperanza, APRAMP, Cruz Roja and Accem. Others include Fundación Amaranta, Médicos del Mundo, Fundación Cepaim and Oblatas. CEAR is the one to ask about asylum.

Services differ from city to city. If you do not know which one is near you, the helpline can direct you to a local office.

Official identification

Only the police can formally identify you as a victim. The work is done by specialised units: in the Policía Nacional, the UCRIF units, and in the Guardia Civil, the EMUME and labour-exploitation teams. The Fiscalía, the prosecutor's office, is also involved.

You will have an interview with trained staff. An NGO with experience can come with you and support you, and can provide a report. The NGO cannot decide the outcome. Ask for the NGO to be there before the interview starts.

Labour inspectors, health services and NGOs who notice signs of trafficking must pass your case to these units, so you can also start the process through them.

The reflection period

If you are in irregular status and are suspected of being a trafficking victim, you get a reflection and recovery period of at least 90 days, during which no expulsion can take place. If an expulsion procedure already exists, it is suspended.

The police unit or the Fiscalía proposes the period, and the Foreigners' Office grants it. Ask them to propose it for you.

The time is yours to recover and to decide whether to cooperate with the authorities. During it you are entitled to:

• subsistence and safe accommodation
• emergency and medical care
• psychological help
• translation and legal advice

A temporary stay authorisation may come with it. EU citizens are not normally in irregular status, so this period is mainly for people from outside the EU.

After the reflection period

You can ask for protection whether or not your papers were in order.

• Residence and work permit. If you cooperate with the investigation, or your personal situation requires it, you may get a residence and work permit for exceptional circumstances. It is valid for at least five years. A temporary permit for the length of the proceedings is another option.
• Asylum. Trafficking can be grounds for refugee status. If you fear returning to your country, ask an NGO, especially CEAR, about asylum.
• Return. If you prefer to go home, assisted voluntary return programmes exist. Family members at risk can have help with family reunification.
• Ongoing support. Help after the period depends on NGO programmes and regional social services, so stay in touch with your NGO.

The timeline below shows the steps in order, and the FAQ answers common worries.

Timeline and deadlines

• Meet the specialised police unit for the identification interview, with a trained NGO worker if you want one: as soon as you contact the police or an NGO

• The police unit or the Fiscalía proposes the reflection and recovery period: once they see signs that you are a trafficking victim

• The Foreigners' Office grants the reflection and recovery period of at least 90 days: after the proposal is made

• Recover, receive care and decide whether to cooperate with the authorities; no expulsion can happen and any existing one is suspended: during the reflection period

• Apply for a residence and work permit for exceptional circumstances, or a temporary permit for the proceedings, if you cooperate or your situation requires it: when the reflection period ends

Checklist

• Call 900 105 090, the free and confidential helpline for trafficking victims, or write to it on WhatsApp, and ask for support in your language.

• Call 112 if you are in immediate danger; it is open 24 hours and operators speak several languages.

• Report to the police on 091 (Policía Nacional) or 062 (Guardia Civil), or write to trata@policia.es.

• Contact a specialist NGO near you, such as Proyecto Esperanza, APRAMP, Cruz Roja or Accem, for accommodation, legal, psychological and social help.

• Ask the NGO to come with you to the identification interview with the specialised police unit.

• Ask the police unit or the Fiscalía to propose the reflection and recovery period for you.

Frequently asked questions

Who decides whether I am officially identified as a trafficking victim?

Specialised police units make the identification decision, not NGOs or other officials. In the Policía Nacional these are the UCRIF units, and in the Guardia Civil the EMUME and labour-exploitation units. An NGO can sit in on the interview, support you and give a report, and the Trafficking Prosecutor of the Fiscalía is also involved.

Can I get help if I do not have residence papers?

Yes, you can get basic assistance, emergency, health and legal care whatever your immigration status. Specialist NGOs can also arrange interpreting and safe accommodation, and help you with identification and residence.

What protection can I get after the reflection period ends?

You may get a residence and work permit for exceptional circumstances, valid for at least five years, if you cooperate with the investigation or your personal situation requires it. A temporary permit for the length of the court proceedings is another option. After the period, help depends on NGO programmes, regional social services and Ministry of Equality funding.

Can I apply for asylum if I was trafficked?

Yes, you can apply for asylum or international protection, because trafficking can be grounds for refugee status. An NGO that works on asylum, such as CEAR, can help you with the application. Spain also offers assisted voluntary return if you want to go home, and family reunification for relatives at risk.