Counter Trafficking IOM Sri Lanka Human trafficking is a crime against humanity where vulnerable men, women and children are exploited for the financial gain of traffickers. It is considered one of the most profitable criminal businesses in the world, where huge profits are gained by the recruitment of people through false promises, deception, and sometimes through force and abduction. In Sri Lanka, men, women and children are trafficked primarily for labour or commercial sexual exploitation, including domestic child sex tourism. Human trafficking commonly occurs within the large number of Sri Lankan men and women migrating for employment to the Middle East, Singapore and other countries for jobs in sectors such as domestic service, construction and factory employment. When seeking to migrate from Sri Lanka, many migrant workers go into debt to pay high recruitment fees imposed by unscrupulous labour recruitment agencies and unlicensed sub-agents. Migrant labourers are advanced money as an incentive to move abroad, only to be trapped in debt bondage upon arrival at their destination. Usually, the job which was agreed upon, expected working conditions and salary is not provided after the migrant arrives. There are also reported cases of Sri Lankan women subjected to forced prostitution. Further, a small number of women from Asia, Central and East Asia have been subjected to forced prostitution in Sri Lanka. Within the country, women from rural villages are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels and even children, both boys and girls, are forced to engage in child sex tourism. Children are also seen being coerced to beg or engage in criminal activities.
The primary objective of IOM activities is to raise awareness on human trafficking and to help identify and protect victims of trafficking including their safe repatriation and reintegration. Since 2007, IOM Sri Lanka has implemented comprehensive actions to help address human trafficking and support the government in its efforts at strengthening measures to combat trafficking in Sri Lanka. IOM Sri Lanka has supported the capacity building of key government and non-governmental stakeholders in not only understanding the phenomenon of trafficking in persons, but also on the identification of victims, conducting investigations and prosecutions and the provision of protection services for victims. IOM Sri Lanka Counter Trafficking efforts are categorized into four main areas: 1. Prosecution A comprehensive training curriculum was developed for the Sri Lanka Police Department which was incorporated into the police curriculum. Several key trainers representing in-service training divisions and the police college were trained to carry out trainings on Trafficking in Persons (TiP). A survey was conducted simultaneously on the knowledge, attitudes and perception (KAP) of key stakeholders to understand the gaps in knowledge which helped form the basis of the police curriculum. At present the Sri Lanka Police Department continues to conduct trainings on TiP at the National Academy and Police College. Further training programmes have been conducted as part of IOM s continuous technical support for the police in increasing capacity of officers to identify, investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking. These trainings were conducted for several divisions of the police including the Children and Women s Bureau, Legal Division, Crimes and Criminal Investigation Department. Programmes were also organized for the State Counsel of the Attorney General s Department that discussed the international and local legal framework on trafficking in persons, conducting prosecutions and case studies. A moot court was conducted on a reported human trafficking case to enhance the practical learning experience for the participants. IOM Sri Lanka for the first time conducted Judicial Colloquiums on Trafficking in Persons for High Court Judges and Magistrates. The programme was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, Judges
Institute and the Judicial Services Commission. The training sessions included: Introduction to the phenomena of human trafficking, national laws on human trafficking, UN Conventions and the Protocols on Human Trafficking and Smuggling, and the protection of victims throughout the judicial process. A comprehensive database system was designed and developed on behalf of the Sri Lanka Police Department in order to assist with data collection of reported cases of human trafficking. This database has been installed at the criminal records division of the police department. A screening form to assist officers to report human trafficking cases to the database among the complaints received by police stations was developed by IOM and circulated to all police stations around the island. Similar to the police curriculum, a training curriculum was developed and handed over to the Department of Immigration and Emigration. A special training of trainers programme was held for the airport officers of the department and several sensitization programmes held for other relevant officers. The programme concentrated on raising the awareness among the officers on how to identify cases of human trafficking, conduct an immigration interview, offering victim assistance and referral and on the Standard Operating Procedures developed and adopted by the National Anti-Human Trafficking Force. 2. Protection IOM s interventions to assist victims of trafficking included the return and reintegration of identified victims of trafficking. Medical, psychological, legal and livelihood assistance was also made available to the victims whose cases were directly reported to IOM. Further the IOM Counter Trafficking unit operated a helpline for victims and callers with migration-related concerns. The helpline operated from 8.30am to 5.00pm on weekdays with all calls answered by a trained IOM officer who provided information and assisted callers, as required, with access to follow-up IOM provides livelihood assistance to victims of trafficking. support. IOM Counter Trafficking posters and leaflets with the hotline number were distributed at workshops and displayed at police stations island wide, local government offices, hospitals and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Throughout its projects, IOM worked with several NGOs in raising awareness among their staff on human trafficking and the referral of victims for assistance. IOM collaborated with and supported Women in Need (WiN), an organization that works on women s issues and manages crisis centers around the island to build the capacity of its staff to more effectively provide services such as counselling, legal aid and shelter assistance for women victims of violence in Sri Lanka, in particular to victims of trafficking. IOM also worked with Salvation Army to establish and equip a medical room at its shelter. This shelter assists women and child victims of trafficking. Further a vocational training programme was introduced for the victims that are placed at the shelter in collaboration with a reputed private fashion institute. The vocational training programme aimed at contributing towards not only the recovery of the victim but also equip them with skills to earn an income upon their return to their communities.
With the objective of sensitizing Judicial Medical Officers (JMO) who are called to examine and report on the physical and mental status of victims, a comprehensive training programme was held for 40 JMOs and 95 Medico Legal Officers. The sessions comprised the following topics: Human trafficking and identifying victim Trauma and needs of victims of trafficking Medico legal considerations / referring victims Vulnerability of victims to infectious diseases Legal aspects of human trafficking in Sri Lanka One of the key achievements in IOM s interventions in putting in place protection mechanisms for victims of trafficking, is supporting the establishment of the first government shelter for women victims of trafficking. The National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force having identified the need for a shelter for women victims, advocated for a dedicated shelter to be established and managed under the Ministry of Child Development Women s Affairs. IOM provided support for the renovation and management of the shelter including the recruitment and training of staff. Technical support was provided to the ministry to develop shelter guidelines. The guidelines set out clear instructions in the referral of victims to the shelter and its management. The government shelter for women victims of trafficking. Specialized training programmes have been held for staff of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment in order to help increase the identification of victims of trafficking among labour migrants. A programme was held in Amman, Jordan in August 2014 for staff that are posted at overseas missions in the Middle East region. Further training were conducted for the conciliation unit of the SLBFE with the objective of sensitizing its officers on human trafficking and how best to screen for victims. A handbook was designed and developed as part of the training material provided for staff of SLBFE to enhance the understanding of human trafficking.
Training programme for embassy staff held in Amman, Jordan. Training programme for immigration officers. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the identification, protection and referral of trafficking victims were developed in order to streamline efforts at increasing the identification of victims of trafficking and referring for protection and assistance. IOM provided technical support to the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force for the development of these SOPs. The objectives are: To ensure the effective identification and protection of victims including the establishment of a referral mechanism to provide appropriate assistance. To ensure expeditious and effective law enforcement including the conviction of offenders. To ensure the protection and non revictimization of victims from the time of identification to reintegration. To institutionalize specific steps for the provision of assistance and protection to victims of human trafficking. The launch of the SOPs in March 2015. The SOPs were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2014. 3. Prevention An awareness campaign was implemented in order to raise greater public awareness on human trafficking and its risks and consequences. Street dramas, radio spots, a docu-drama, posters and stickers with powerful trafficking messages were done as part of the campaign. An awareness workshop for three-wheeler taxi drivers were conducted in Katunayake with the support of a local community based organization Janasetha Sahana Foundation with the objective of raising awareness of these taxi drivers on human trafficking and facilitating such crimes. Media workshops were held in Colombo, Galle and Kurunegala districts for journalists to raise awareness among them with regard to identifying and reporting of cases of human trafficking.
Street drama as part of an awareness campaign held in Nuwara Eliya. 4. Partnerships In 2009, IOM supported the establishment of a National Counter Trafficking Resource Centre at the Department of Immigration and Emigration. The Assistant Controller Ports of the Department of Immigration and Emigration (IED) (one of the participants of an IOM arranged study tour) developed a work plan which included the establishment of this resource centre at the department. IOM contributed office equipment and computers to the centre. The objective was to develop the capacity of immigration officers through this resource center and increase efforts at research. The establishment and functioning of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force has been another key achievement in IOM s efforts at addressing human trafficking in Sri Lanka. The Task Force under the committed leadership of the Ministry of Justice and representing key government ministries and institutions, acts as the primary body that co-ordinates all interventions in combating trafficking in Sri Lanka. IOM as the secretariat for the Task Force has advocated and supported the initiation and implementation of key policy decisions, capacity building trainings and other necessary interventions. Further, in order to strengthen the efforts of the Task Force in the implementation of strategic interventions in combating human trafficking in Sri Lanka, IOM has supported the Task Force in developing a five year strategic plan (2015-2019). The strategic plan has incorporated the recommendations of the technical assessment conducted in Sri Lanka in November 2014. This ensures that any gaps in anti-tip efforts are addressed by all relevant stakeholders under the strategic plan. For more information, please contact: IOM Sri Lanka 62 Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha (Green Path) Colombo 03 SRI LANKA Tel: +94 11 5325 300 Fax: +94 11 5325 302