Training Workshop on victim identification, protection, and referral related to Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, Karachi

15 February 2021, Karachi - Under the framework of the Global Action to Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT – Asia and the Middle East), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has conducted from 9 to10 February 2021 a training workshop on “Victims identification, Protection, and Referral related to Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants”. This is the second of a series of three workshops with the objective of training relevant stakeholders on the subject. The last session will be held in Lahore from 24 to25 February 2021 with the same stakeholders. 

The participants of this training represented law enforcement authorities, Civil Society Organizations, Sindh and relevant government departments, namely, social welfare, labour, child and women development,. The first day of workshop aimed at enhancing the participants understanding of Trafficking in Persons (TIP), and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), familiarize them with national policies and laws related to the two crimes, as well as with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to victim identification, case management, referral, protection and assistance. The session was attended by 20 participants (8 female, 12 male).                  

While delivering welcoming remarks, Shahida Gilani, UNODC National Programme Officer, explained that “GLO.ACT aims to act as vehicle for change, providing protection to victims and vulnerable migrants, closing the impunity gap for traffickers and smugglers who benefit from the exploitation of the most vulnerable” and highlighted that “GLO.ACT also aims to enhance the quality of investigations and prosecutions of TIP and SOM, and to identify and target illicit financial flows associated with TIP and SOM”. 

Jawad Hussain, Assistant Director at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) while delivering his session stressed that “victim support groups and service providers have a vital role in the fight against human trafficking and migrants smuggling. Better training of law enforcement and service providers leads to greater detection and enhanced support to victims”. 

Ehsan Gilani, Assistant Programme Officer UNODC delivered a session on the newly adopted National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrants Smuggling (2021-2025) and underlined the importance that each stakeholder play in the response of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Pakistan. 

The main objectives of the workshops were: 

  • To understand trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, their differences and interlinkages
  • To grasp the main elements of the Pakistani law related to trafficking and migrant smuggling offenses
  • To recognize the elements of TIP and SOM in typical scenarios to the Pakistani experience
  • To familiarize with a victim-centered approach
  • To understand victims’ protection and assistance and how to refer the victim or vulnerable smuggled migrants to relevant services
  • To comprehend the importance of gender in the context of policy work. 

This workshop provided the opportunity to examine real-case scenarios that went through FIA’s SOPs on victim assistance and protection, modalities of identification, screening and referral and existing practices. 

The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants – Asia and the Middle East (GLO.ACT-Asia and the Middle East) is a four-year (2018-2022), €12 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in up to five countries: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan), Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R. of Iran), Republic of Iraq (Iraq), Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan). 

The project builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 and assists governmental authorities and civil society organizations in targeted, innovative, and demand-driven interventions: sustaining effective strategy and policy development, legislative review and harmonization, capability development, and regional and trans-regional cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms. 

 

The project is funded by the European Union. 

For more information, please contact: 

Ms. Shahida Gillani, National Project Officer

Email: Shahida.gillani@un.org  

For more information, please visit:

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act2/index.html

 

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter:  @glo_act

 

Nation-wide awareness-raising campaign in Pakistan, please like and share:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNODCCOPAK.GloAct/

Twitter: @GLOACTPakistan