This document is an initial set of practical tools developed jointly by the member agencies of ICAT to address an issue identified by ICAT members as being critical for the international community to tackle in order to better respond to trafficking in persons and improve the impact of anti-trafficking activities, through discussing common design and evaluation issues.

In September 2018, the Department of Operations and Emergencies (DOE) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched its first Institutional Framework for Addressing GBV in Crises (GBViC Framework). The GBViC Framework builds on lessons learned and emerging good practices in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in IOM’s crisis operations worldwide documented over the past four years.The key objective of the GBViC Framework is to ensure that the safety, dignity, well-being and equitable access to services for all crisis-affected persons, especially women and girls, is prioritized, integrated and coordinated across all IOM crisis operations. It articulates why and how IOM tackles GBV in crises and defines IOM’s vision and scope through three institutional approaches: 1. Mitigating risks: by mitigating the risk of GBV in all crisis operations and doing no harm; 2. Supporting survivors: by facilitating access to survivor-centred, multisectoral services; and 3. Addressing the root causes: by contributing towards progressively transforming the conditions that perpetuate GBV.

Trafficking in human beings (THB) and smuggling of migrants (SoM), two distinct but often interrelated phenomena, occur on a global scale. Searching for a way out of economic inequalities, environmental crises, armed conflict, political instability and persecution, and in view of tightening border controls and restricted options for legal migration, migrants are driven to seek the services of smugglers. At the same time, a globalized economy fosters demand for diverse types of exploitation, which also makes migrants vulnerable to traffickers. Both THB and SoM are billion-dollar businesses that exact high human costs. This is illustrated by the many migrants dying while being smuggled along increasingly dangerous migration routes, and by the millions of trafficking victims trapped in exploitative situations worldwide. The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States are increasingly stepping up to address THB and SoM. However, they face challenges in developing the necessary holistic, long-term interventions that combine law enforcement with a rights-based, victim-centred approach and with prevention efforts that are linked to development and offer realistic, practical alternatives to irregular migration. This ACP-EU Migration Action publication analyses these challenges and provides recommendations to tackle the difficulties that ACP countries face in relation to THB and SoM

In the framework of the EU action against trafficking in human beings (THB), the project “Towards global EU Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”, which is the subject of this report, facilitated the elaboration and adoption of the Council of Ministers of an Action Oriented Paper (AOP) on the external dimension of EU justice and home affairs policies on trafficking in human beings during the Swedish Presidency (July-December 2009). The AOP provides a consolidated framework for the EU (Member States and European Commission) containing an integrated compendium of external actions as well as cooperation measures on countering-trafficking in human beings and addressing the root causes of human trafficking in the countries of origin.

For many trafficked persons, the physical and psychological aftermath of a trafficking experience can be severe and enduring. Health providers may come into contact with victims of trafficking at different stages of the trafficking process and at different stages of their recovery. For health practitioners, diagnosing and treating trafficked persons can be exceptionally challenging. The informed and attentive health care provider can play an important role in assisting and treating individuals who may have suffered unspeakable and repeated abuse. Caring for Trafficked Persons brings together the collective experience of a broad range of experts from international organizations, universities and civil society in addressing the consequences of human trafficking. Developed with the support of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, and led by IOM and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the handbook gives practical, non-clinical advice to help a concerned health provider understand the phenomenon of human trafficking, recognize some of the associated health problems and consider safe and appropriate approaches to providing healthcare for trafficked persons.

This Second Edition reviews legislation and government policy related to combating human trafficking in eight Caribbean countries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles, St Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. This review has assessed the applicability of existing statute law for the prosecution of human traffickers, the protection of trafficking victims and the prevention of trafficking activities. This includes criminal provisions that constitute one or more elements of the trafficking process such as procurement, forced detention, prostitution, sexual offences, kidnapping, abduction and other offences against the person. These elements can then be used in combination as a “patchwork” replacement for a trafficking law. Employment law is examined to ascertain the rights of workers and the capacity to penalise employers for exploitative activities. In addition, immigration laws have been assessed to deduce whether immigration officers have any legislative basis for identifying and taking action against suspected trafficking activities. These laws have also been examined in terms of how they offer protection to victims of human trafficking. Other areas relevant to trafficking activities include asylum law, as a possible source of protection for victims, and money-laundering initiatives that offer an insight into the possibilities of combating transnational crime.

In an effort to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies in Nigeria on gender-based violence and trafficking in persons, the International Organization for Migration in Nigeria previously developed two training guides for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). As one of a three-part training package, this manual is based on a capacity assessment and consultation conducted with the NPF and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in North-East Nigeria. This manual is practical and operationally oriented and is not designed as a series of lessons or academic treatise, but a practical “how to” guide that integrates and contextualizes training materials, resources, research and best practices developed by other agencies and experts to fit NPF and NSCDC needs in North-East Nigeria.

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international migration. The Migration Research Leaders Syndicate, convened as part of IOM’s efforts to extend policy and technical expertise in support of the Global Compact for Migration, comprises senior researchers from diverse geographic, disciplinary and thematic backgrounds. The Syndicate provides a channel for leading experts in migration to propose ideas to meet the ambitious goals outlined in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants of September 2016.

This Guidance Note provides guidance for the mandatory mainstreaming of humanitarian protection principles into IOM’s response to crises. This note is intended to help every IOM staff involved in crisis response to apply these standards in performance of their functions when assessing, designing, developing, endorsing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the following: a) IOM responses to crises and b) projects falling under one or more of the MCOF sectors of assistance. In case an IOM staff member needs to deviate from this Guidance Note, the staff member or Chief of Mission concerned must contact the Department of Operations and Emergencies. It is mandatory for IOM staff members and specifically for Chiefs of Missions to ensure adherence to this guidance note and to follow up with the Department.

In September 2013, through the support of the IOM Development Fund, a seven-month needs assessment on the human trafficking situation in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina [BiH], UNSC resolution 1244-administered Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) was commissioned . The purpose was to collect and summarize stakeholder views of the mechanisms and resources available to combat TIP in the region. The assessment sought to identify key gaps related to the identification, referral, assistance and support for trafficked persons. Stakeholders were also asked for their recommendations on how to strengthen existing responses, correct inappropriate processes, and rectify fundamental gaps in regional counter-trafficking resources.