Rome and Catania, Italy - 15 July 2018 - A delegation of high-ranking officials from the Public Prosecution Office, the Ministry of Interior and the Agency for Administrative Control of the Republic of Egypt took part in a study visit to Italy organized by UNODC's Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa ( ROMENA) under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT). The study tour took place in Italy from 2 to 6 July and involved 11 Egyptian representatives.
In line with the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime ( UNTOC) and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, the visit aimed to provide insights into the institutional responses to the smuggling of migrants (SOM) by Italian authorities and to enhance cooperation between Italy and Egypt to counter this crime.
The Egyptian delegates were extensively briefed on a number of key issues, including:
However, the briefing sessions did not only focus on criminal justice aspects but also on search and rescue operations, procedures at disembarkation, humanitarian assistance, return and readmission agreements, support and protection programmes for TIP victims. Other topics discussed included techniques for identification of TIP victims within mixed migration flows and the relationship between the asylum protection system and programmes for TIP victims. During each visit, the delegation had the opportunity to discuss topics of interest in detail with the Italian counterparts.
During the study tour, the Egyptian delegation visited numerous counterparts in Rome and Catania, including relevant departments at the Ministry of Interior, the Department of Public Security, the Central Directorate for Immigration and Border Police, the National Centre for the Coordination of Immigration 'Roberto Lavarone', and the Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration, the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate, the Department for Equal Opportunities at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the police headquarters and the Prosecutor's Office in Catania.
At the port of Catania, state police units responsible for disembarkation, the Guardia di Finanza and the Italian coastguard organized briefings. During the tour, Egyptian officials also met with representatives of Frontex, Europol and EASO the European Regional Task Force (EURTF) in Catania.
During the study visit, the Egyptian delegation also had the opportunity to visit a shelter for minors responsible for providing assistance to TIP victims. Here the delegation was briefed on assistance and protection measures available to TIP victims in Italy, with a special focus on the protection of minors (trafficked and non-trafficked).
At the end of the visit, the representatives of each institution debriefed on the results of the study tour and expressed their gratitude to the Italian Ministry of the Interior for the outstanding programme and the impeccable organization of the high-level meetings, as well as to UNODC ROMENA and GLO.ACT for organizing and supporting the study visit.
The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), €11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Faisal Hegazy
GLO.ACT National Programme Officer
faisal.hegazy@unodc.org
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/
Email: glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act