Coordinated response to human trafficking urged

Interior minister says govt committed to eliminating human smuggling

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers of a consultative session have called for concerted efforts to cope with human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

They were speaking at the consultative session conducted under the EU-funded GLO.ACT - Global Action to Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLOACT – Asia and the Middle East). The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency, organised the consultation workshop for National and Provincial Anti-Human Trafficking Committees.

The national consultation aimed to provide an opportunity for all the members of national, provincial, and district-level anti-trafficking committees to meet and deliberate on their objectives. There were three main objectives of the consultation.

First, it was discussed, that there is a lack of understanding of trafficking by law enforcement officers. Secondly, it was discussed that there is a tendency to consider irregular migrants as offenders only but they are also victims. Thirdly, there was a lack of coordination among relevant actors at the federal, provincial, and district levels.

UNODC country representative Dr Jeremy Milsom said, “Curbing human trafficking and migrants smuggling requires a coordinated response at all levels. Realizing this fact, the government of Pakistan notified provincial and district-level TIP coordination committees earlier this year. We, as UNODC, are very pleased with this action by Pakistan and commend the efforts. We hope that there would be great coordination and synergy amongst all the stakeholders and that the activities will be conducted in a coordinated matter at all levels including Federal, Provincial, and District levels.”

He further said, “The foundation for curbing TIP and SOM must be the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, to which Pakistan is a signatory. Our approach needs to balance progressive and proactive law enforcement with activities that combat the market forces driving human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Pakistan.”

FIA Director-General Mohsin Hassan Butt said, “We are improving our identification of potential victims and offering greater support to those who are victims of this abhorrent crime. Trafficking is a gross violation of a person’s basic rights and dignity and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, especially women and children. We are working jointly with UNODC and the European Union to enhance support to the victims of trafficking and vulnerable smuggled migrants. Our National Action Plan to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling is victim-centred and addresses the gaps related to it."

He further said, “We are enhancing our ability to act early and to help other relevant stakeholders within Pakistan to deal with the issue. Police are mandated to investigate crimes of internal trafficking and other departments including labour, child protection, women's protection, and social services are mandated to provide protection and assistance services to the victims."

Chief of Mission IOM Pakistan Mio Sato congratulated the government of Pakistan and FIA for adopting comprehensive counter-trafficking measures, that are also in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

She added that “It is critical to strengthen partnerships and collaboration amongst local and national stakeholders to ensure efforts are sustainable and holistic. As implementing partner for the GLO.ACT project, IOM has been supporting the FIA on strengthening response on victim protection and assistance and remains available to extend full support to the national, provincial and district-level anti-trafficking committees”.

Migration Liaison Officer Eric Hann said as part of the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025, we are committed to stepping up cooperation with countries of origin and transit. This is crucial to ensure a comprehensive approach that includes demand reduction; law enforcement and criminal justice response; and assistance and support to victims, in line with priorities that apply both inside and outside the EU. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government has a strong political will and commitment to move forward with the work against trafficking in persons.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2022.