Existe una estrecha relación entre el tráfico ilícito de refugiados y migrantes y la trata de personas. Es necesario reconocer que una persona migrante o refugiada que ha estado en una situación de tráfico - bien sea para ingresar, permanecer o salir del país - se encuentra en riesgo de ser víctima del delito de trata de personas. Estos delitos implican la cosificación de las personas, el menoscabo de la dignidad humana y suele primar un aprovechamiento de situaciones de vulnerabilidad. Uno de los mayores obstáculos en la lucha contra el tráfico ilícito de refugiados y migrantes y la trata de personas es la falta de información. Hay un evidente subregistro en las cifras oficiales y esto impide que se calculen las magnitudes reales de ambos delitos.

This Issue Brief provides an introduction to the topic of trafficking in times of crisis—in the context of conflicts and natural disasters. It discusses frameworks and practices relevant to addressing trafficking in these situations and identifies gaps and challenges. Aspects particular to migrants are highlighted, acknowledging that this is an area that would benefit from dedicated research and analysis; while there is an emerging evidence-base, concerted and enhanced efforts are needed. The suggestions and practices outlined in this Issue Brief seek to illuminate ways to better address the risks of trafficking before, during, and in the aftermath of crises, including for migrants.

It is abundantly clear that risk factors for violence, abuse, and neglect are on the rise for children under containment. At the same time, some COVID-19 prevention measures have abruptly cut children off from positive and supportive relationships they rely on when in distress, including at school, in the extended family, and in the community. Children’s rights to safety and protection as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action are threatened. This resource, which is informed by reports from the field, examines issues that children may face as countries implement lockdowns and stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19. Protective prevention and response strategies are then outlined with the goal of strengthening the protection of children in all types of homes.

Migrant workers often experience precarity in their migration journeys, and the state structures and programs designed to ‘protect’ migrants have the potential to increase migrant vulnerability to exploitation; financial exploitation, enduring physical harm, rights abuses or various forms of coercion. The increased use of managed migration programs to control migrant flows have introduced a thriving private sector migration industry which facilitates the employment and migration needs of migrants in sending countries, and caters to government and industry (employer) requirements in receiving countries. Migrant workers can be subject to economic exploitation and even violence at the hands of private intermediaries, employers and government authorities. This vulnerability is exacerbated by migrants’ limited access to information and support networks in countries of destination and insufficient levels of social protection and gaps in the governance frameworks in countries of origin.In addition to these common risks, women migrant workers (WMWs) face gendered and specific forms of exploitation and human rights abuses associated with gender norms and stereotypes. Their labour is highly concentrated in devalued, gendered and often invisible labour sectors that are plagued by labour abuse (including excess hours and poor pay), physical and psychological abuse and sexual violence.

The crime of human trafficking is complex and dynamic, taking place in a wide variety of contexts and frequently difficult to detect. One of the greatest challenges in developing targeted counter-trafficking responses and measuring their impact is the lack of reliable, high-quality data. Historically, available data on human trafficking have been extremely limited and the data that do exist are too often isolated in silos, leading to fragmented knowledge. This Data Bulletin examines some of the main global sources of human trafficking data, their strengths and limitations, and the work IOM and other organizations are carrying out to build the evidence base on human trafficking in the context of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, specifically Objectives 1 and 10.

The Coronavirus pandemic is dramatically impacting all aspects of the work being carried out by the United Nations. The purpose of this paper is to outline a number of policy and operational implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). This analysis by the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict is based on ongoing consultations with field practitioners, including Women Protection Advisers in United Nations peace operations, UN country offices, and civil society partners. It also reflects a number of issues of concern that have been raised by UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the network of 15 United Nations entities chaired by the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Although empirical evidence related to the linkages between COVID-19 and the prevalence of CRSV and impact on multisectoral service provision is still scarce, in the short-term a broader body of related literature can provide an evidence-informed understanding of linkages between infectious disease epidemics and violence against women and children, including sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings. This analysis is intended to inform policy and programme responses to mitigate the risk of increased sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings as part of pandemic preparedness, as well as during and in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Understanding the key differences between trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants is important because these are different crimes that require different responses in law, both with regard to the rights of a persons who has been the object of one of these crimes and to the penalty for perpetrators

What makes crisis-affected communities and individuals vulnerable to trafficking in persons?How is the humanitarian community responding to trafficking in persons?What are the key recommendations?