Why we need to raise awareness amongst tour operators and overseas employment promoters to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling

 

Islamabad, 27 September 2017 - The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) organized a workshop on 27 September 2017 for tour operators and overseas employment promoters to raise awareness of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) as well as to help prevent abusive and fraudulent recruitment practices. 

There are many networks illegally transporting people from Pakistan to various destination countries and reported to be pocketing millions of rupees in the process. As per Federal Investigation Agency, human traffickers and migrant smugglers are often disguised in form of travel agents, tour operators, and education and immigration consultants. Travel agents and overseas employment promoters are being regulated by Department of Tourism Services (DTS) and the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) respectively. Unregulated education and immigration consultants are operating in Pakistan as freelancers. 

UNODC brought together travel agents, tour operators and overseas employment promoters from the private sector on a platform with their relevant government counterparts. The purpose was to sensitize private sector actors to issues related to trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants as well as chalking out a way forward to regulate education and immigration consultants.  

Mr. Naweed Riaz, International Law Enforcement Advisor at UNODC Pakistan, stated in his opening remarks: "There is a need to mobilize and bring together all the relevant stakeholders from both public and private sectors to a single platform to discuss and provide solutions to our common problem of TIP and SOM." While Programme Officer Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Ms. Shahida Gillani explained: "Most of the human traffickers are disguised in form of travel agents, employment promoters and education and immigration consultants. We need to ensure that a prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership approach is adopted to combat these crimes." 

During the event, Mr. Ehsan Gilani, Senior Programme Associate from UNODC, presented case studies of human traffickers who were disguised as travel agents and were convicted in the court of law. Mr. Asif Jah, Consultant for UNODC, gave a brief presentation on existing laws, gaps identified and what needs to be done in the future. He said: "There are travel agents and overseas employment promoters that are regulated by Department of Tourist Services and the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) respectively and there is a segment, education and immigration consultants, which needs to be regulated."

Mr. Omar Saleem Cheema, Deputy Director from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), stressed the need to create a framework for the unregulated sector. He explained that BEOE regulates, facilitates and monitors the emigration process conducted by the Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) in the private sector. 

The workshop was attended by representatives of relevant government departments, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD), the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF). The private sector was represented by the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, tour operators and overseas employment promoters. 

The participants agreed in the workshop that a regulatory framework needs to be drafted in collaboration with relevant government departments. For a start, a Working Group (WG) that includes DTS, BEOE, FIA, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law should be created. This will ultimately assist the government of Pakistan to curtail the issue of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. The recommendations of the workshop will be shared with the stakeholders for further action.

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, and Ukraine. 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.