The Foreign Ministry yesterday announced an action plan to fight human trafficking and sexual exploitation that includes doubling the budget allocated to non-governmental organizations active in the field and a bilateral accord with Albania to repatriate children who are being exploited in Greece.

Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis, who is responsible for international cooperation and economic development, said the government, in cooperation with the Society of Citizens, would “intensify the war on this contemporary form of slavery that is an insult to our democracy, human values and civilization.”

The ministry will be working with NGOs to set up refuges, provide special training for police and court authorities, cooperate with law associations and establish monitoring bureaus in the five Olympic cities and towns. Stylianidis said the ministry would be liaising with other ministries and evaluating proposals by some 14 NGOs.