Brazilian government, UNODC and civil society discuss the II National Plan to Fight Trafficking in Persons

11 November, 2010 - Helping the family, take a job opportunity or simply dream of a better life. Lured by false promises, trafficking victims live a dream that soon becomes a nightmare. For trafficking, victims have no age, sex, education or social class. Anyone can be a target. Estimates indicate that trafficking affects 2.5 million people worldwide and is second only after drug trafficking as form of organized crime most lucrative activity, with the participation of US$ 32 billion annually, out of which 80% comes from sexual exploitation.

For the coordinator of the Government and Justice area of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Brazil and Southern Cone, Rodrigo Vitória, it is a crime of opportunity. "Human trafficking is a heinous crime that takes advantage of the vulnerability of people, especially women and children, and the dream of pursuing opportunities in other countries," evaluates Vitória.

In Brazil, 80% of Brazilians deported from Spain, for example, are illegal immigrants who were victims of trafficking in persons, especially sexual exploitation. The data is from the first report of the I National Plan to Fight Trafficking in Persons (2008 to 2010), published this week by the Ministry of Justice, during the First Meeting of the National Network for Combating Trafficking in Persons, held in Belo Horizonte.

During the meeting, representatives of federal, state, municipal and civil society organizations discussed solutions to combat human trafficking aiming to prepare the Second National Plan to Fight Trafficking in Persons, which will be available for public consultation in the Internet.

According to the Minister of Justice, Luiz Paulo Barreto, to be effective on the fight against such crime it is necessary to change the focus on trafficking in persons. "The regulatory and legal instruments exist, but need to be reformed. Victims cannot be seen as co-authors, despite some of them may have cooperated along the process. In many northern countries, who is in jail is the illegal immigrant, the victim, not the gangs who profit from the dream of a better life", said Barreto. To access the report on the I National Plan to Fight Trafficking in Persons, click here.

Source: Ministry of Justice

Photoo: Gilmar Félix

 

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