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Counter Trafficking
IOM works in partnership with governments, international and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and development partners on all aspects of Counter-Trafficking responses – prevention, protection, and prosecution.
Since the mid-1990s, IOM and its partners have provided protection and assistance to close to 100,000 men, women and children, who were trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or for organ removal. Agriculture, fishing, domestic work and hospitality, commercial sexual exploitation, pornography, begging, construction and manufacturing are some of the sectors in which victims were exploited.
IOM takes a comprehensive approach to addressing human trafficking. Respect for human rights, the physical, mental and social well-being of the individual and his or her community, and the sustainability of our actions through institutional capacity development and partnerships are at the centre of all of IOM’s Counter-Trafficking efforts.
IOM encourages the entire international community to engage in the fight against trafficking. It does so by participating in, and leading, a number of regional and international multilateral processes, including the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), and Alliance 8.7. IOM also works with the humanitarian community to ensure that the risk of trafficking is mitigated and addressed from the earliest stages of humanitarian responses.
THE DEFINITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
“[T]he recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat, use of force or other means of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the receiving or giving of payment⋅⋅⋅ to a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.”
(Article 3 of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime).
WHAT WE DO IN IRELAND?
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Through an awareness raising campaign and outreach, IOM seeks to equip the general population of Ireland with the information and tools needed to identify situations of potential human trafficking, and how to report suspicions to the authorities. In collaboration with the Department of Justice and Equality, the Anyone Campaign aims to raise awareness of who might be a person in a trafficking situation and to highlight that victims can, often, be hidden in plain sight. The concept of Anyone is to really highlight to the Public that the stereotypes associated with victims of human trafficking often do exist but that victims can also be people that we wouldn’t normally consider to be a victim – they could be the person cleaning our cars, painting our nails, picking our mushrooms or working in fisheries - “Anyone can be exploited”. The idea is also to open people’s eyes to situations where human trafficking and exploitation might happen, that in can be next door and someone local to us that is involved in the exploitative process - “Anyone can exploit”. For more information please look at our social media – FB, Twitter and Instagram, as well the Campaign website www.anyonetrafficked.com.
IOM Ireland also provides protection and assistance to victim of trafficking through its Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR). IOM is part of the National Referral Mechanism (for more information see here) and is also named in the Second National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking in Ireland (click here) to provide return assistance to any victim who may wish to return to their country of origin or to a country where they have the right to live and work. IOM’s assistance can include the facilitation of travel documentation, travel arrangements, escorts if necessary, assistance in Dublin airport, assistance in the airport in transit and on arrival, if available. In the country of return, IOM’s assistance can include safe accommodation, medical and psychosocial support, as well as referral into legal services and to the national authorities, if requested. During all aspects of the return IOM takes a trauma informed approach and strives to ensure the safety and protection of the victim are paramount.
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Capacity development
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IOM aims to support governments, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the private sector to combat human trafficking. This includes support to strengthen policies and procedures to facilitate the identification, referral, and protection and assistance of trafficked persons; improvements to Anti-Trafficking legislation and regulations and their implementation; and advisory services to private sector entities aiming to eliminate exploitation from their operations and supply chains.
Train the Trainers Programme
In 2008 IOM Ireland developed a training manual on behalf of the Irish Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The in-depth manual includes a DVD of PowerPoint slides, videos and exercise materials for trainers to be able to deliver varying trainings within their organizations. The development of the manual was followed up with the delivery of train-the-trainer sessions to promote the roll-out of the use of the materials.
In 2010, IOM Ireland created an addendum of updates to the manual to cover changes in law and procedures. At this time a facilitator’s guide was also developed to make it easier for trainers to use the manual. The facilitator’s guide outlines specific timed lesson plans to cover short or long awareness-raising sessions. The manual is available for download in pdf format from the Irish government Blue Blindfold website www.blueblindfold.gov.ie
To report any information or suspicions anonymously email blueblindfold@garda.ie or call Crime stoppers on 1800 25 0025.
Training of Irish Police Force/Gardai
The Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, holds continual professional assessment 3 day training courses for members of the force usually on a biannual basis. IOM supported the Gardai in the design of this 3-day training and IOM’s workbook on identification is used as a training tool. We also coordinate and chair the second day of the training in addition to presenting on IOM AVR services to victims of trafficking. IOM also presents to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) on services that can be provided to victims of trafficking and other vulnerable migrants.
Human Trafficking Stakeholders Forum
IOM Ireland also sits on the newly established (September 2020) Human Trafficking Stakeholders Forum which seeks to consider the current policies, procedures and practises of State and NGOs in supporting victims of trafficking.
Webinars
Through information webinars IOM seeks to bring together a range of national and international experts to discuss topical issues related to human trafficking. The first one held in October 2020 centred on National Referral Mechanisms (NRM) in assisting Victims of Trafficking.
This is a key time for Ireland as it was recently downgraded in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Person’s Report to the Tier 2 Watchlist. Ireland has also started a review of its current NRM with a view to designing a new, improved, mechanism that will take an inclusive, holistic approach rather than one which has been immigration led. It is also a key time to highlight the protection of victims of human trafficking, given the current global pandemic. To listen back to the webinar click here.
E-Course: Cultural Competency and Understanding
Course Focus: This e-course is designed to equip service providers with the necessary cultural competency and understanding to effectively engage with migrant and ethnic minority communities. It particularly emphasizes support for vulnerable members of these communities, including survivors of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence, as well as victims or suspected victims of trafficking.