This analysis is based on IOM’s caseload and excludes the hundreds of victims identified and assisted by other partners in Cox’s Bazar. Therefore, the trends described were compiled from Rohingya who were directly assisted by IOM. The trends provide some insight to the current trafficking context affecting the Rohingya but do not indicate the prevalence of human trafficking in the district. Human trafficking is a crime that is often underreported for many reasons including but not limited to lack of general awareness on the complex dynamics of human trafficking, the services available for victims, the verbal, physical and psychological coercive tactics used by the trafficking network, and stigma and discrimination against victims.

Marriage under the age of 18 is widely considered a human rights violation, though it is legal with parental consent in many countries. It falls within the definition of genderbased violence.Married girls are at risk of intimate partner violence and exposure to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Marriage often means the end of a girl’s education and limits her vocational opportunities. Ninety percent of early first births happen within the context of child marriage and complications during pregnancy and delivery are the second leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds. Nine of the top 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are considered fragile states. Similarly, many countries particularly vulnerable to natural disasters have the highest child marriage prevalence. Fragility and conflict impact child-marriage decisions. However, the role they play is complex and not fully understood. The need to protect girls from rape, as well as the stigma of surviving rape; from pregnancy outside marriage; and from the influence of other communities are factors that lead to child marriage. Poverty, exacerbated in displacement, is a driver of early marriage as parents hope to secure a daughter’s future or to meet basic needs. Child marriage is both exacerbated by barriers to education and an impediment to school for the girls. Additionally, marriage isolates adolescent girls from friends and programs that would help them overcome the challenges of marriage.

Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children is considered by ILO as one of the worst forms of child labour which requires immediate and definitive action from governments. It is a violation of the fundamental human rights of the most vulnerable in our society, our children, and an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest manner, it must also galvanize us into action. ILO research in the Pacific has shown that these issues are present in our communities and a collective effort is required in the fight against this. The “Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Children in a Nutshell” is a resource designed to enhance the knowledge base on sexual exploitation and trafficking in the Pacific. It clarifies the worst forms of child labour concepts and relevant ILO and UN Conventions that deal with these issues and highlights the risk and vulnerability factors that we must guard against to protect our children.

In the last decades, considerable efforts have been made to eradicate trafficking in human beings. In this context, the role of demand has gained prominence in public and political debates. Activists had lobbied for a reference to demand in the UN Anti-Trafficking Protocol, mainly with the aim to criminalise ‘the demand’ or purchase of sexual services. What was eventually agreed upon was something different and above all vague. Indeed, the Protocol asks signatory states to ‘discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking’, as do the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the 2011 EU Anti-Trafficking Directive (2011/36/EU). This demand-clause triggered a search for meaningful interpretations in a range of fields. The project DemandAT had the task of mapping what was understood as demand-side measures, to suggest a consistent conceptual and theoretical framework for the analysis of demand-side and alternative policies, and to contribute to a better understanding of the working of selected ‘demand-side’ measures. This policy brief summarises main research results and formulates recommendations for European and national policy makers.

It is evident that transnational cooperation is a fundamental component for any successful strategy to prevent and fight human trafficking as well as to protect trafficked persons. The aim of the present report is to provide an overview of the forms and tools of transnational cooperation used in cases of human trafficking in the South-Eastern Europe (SEE) countries with the view to further enhance their implementation or development within and beyond the region. Furthermore, the report includes useful reflections and recommendations based on interviews with 83 representatives of governmental institutions, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, labour inspectorates, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations (IOs) engaged in the anti-trafficking field in South-Eastern Europe (SEE).Geographically, the report specifically targeted SEE, namelyAlbania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo1 , Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.Notwithstanding its primary geographical scope,the report serves as a useful tool to all countries that have embarked on the process of developing a transnational referral mechanism, or considering doing so in the future. Practical advise on how to design and implement a functioning TRM can be found in the many recommendations thatthis report brings forward.The report is strictly based on qualitative methods and its outcomes derive from the analysis of findings gathered through desk research and semi-structured interviews with the aforementioned anti-trafficking stakeholders carried out by a research team in each participating country. The report elaborates on the concept of the transnational referral mechanisms (TRM), their development and applicability. It offers a detailed description of what the TRM is and equips the reader with a theoretical understanding of its functioning. It provides a solid background for national stakeholders from countries that have a TRM in place, and serves as an introduction to the TRM concept for all those that in the process of implementing it.

A practical guideline for frontline workers

This factsheet is intended as a quick reference tool to support National Societies to consider how the Covid-19 global pandemic may place communities at increased risk of trafficking, how it may impact trafficked persons and provide advice on practical actions that can be taken to respond and mitigate risks.

Trafficking in Persons (TiP) is a core protection issue violating the dignity and integrity of the person, endangering their life and physical security. It is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. In normal times, TiP is widespread, and in emergencies the risk and prevalence is known to rise. This document explains why there is an elevated risk of TiP during the Covid-19 pandemic, who is likely to be most affected, and what operational approaches can be adopted to prevent, mitigate or respond to TiP by Movement actors. It also includes advocacy messages for consideration in engagement with government, donors and the wider humanitarian sector. Underpinned by our Fundamental Principles, these messages call for a more comprehensive and coordinated prevention and response to TiP. This guidance complements the Covid-19 Impact on Trafficking in Persons Factsheet, developed for a general Red Cross Red Crescent audience, by providing more technical and detailed advice. It should be read in conjunction with the Global Protection Cluster Anti-Trafficking Task Team ‘COVID-19 Pandemic: Trafficking in Persons (TIP) considerations in internal displacement contexts’. Existing Movement guidance on responding to the needs of trafficked people and migrant workers are referenced at the end of this document.

The Mara Salvatrucha, better known by their acronym MS-13, is one of the largest and most violent transnational criminal organizations in the world. Their motto is “Kill, Rape, Control.”Since the 1980s, MS-13 members have typically engaged in a wide range of violent and criminal activity including, “drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjacking/auto thefts, and vandalism.” More recently there has been a rise in MS-13 engaging in various forms of human trafficking. This paper seeks to explore the connection between the MS-13 and human trafficking.

The course is structured to move from understanding and knowledge to action, with the vital intermediary stage of planning. It is organized into three textbooks (and a related exercise book): Textbook 1 covers understanding of child trafficking, and aims to cover the main concepts involved so that there is clarity and common understanding but also so that variations (for example national variations in legal definitions) can be shared and considered. It also includes facts and figures designed to give a ‘snapshot’ of child trafficking across the world, and looks at how statistics and data can be gathered and used so that such a snapshot is clear and usable. The final session in this book explores the people involved in anti-trafficking efforts. Once all this is covered, the group is ready to move on to plan effective action. Note that it is important to ensure that there is a smooth transition between this theoretical section and the action-oriented section that follows; the link is through National Action Plans (NAPs), which take all the theory/research/mapping/data and formulate them into a plan for action. It is important, throughout the course, to keep referencing policies and actions within the framework of the NAP (and other equivalent frameworks, including at local, regional and other levels). Textbook 2 will differ according to the course participants but is generally organized around the actions that can be taken by the various groups under four main headings: Broad protection of children/building a protective environment; prevention of the crime of trafficking; law enforcement; and victim assistance. The principal sectoral roles and responsibilities of each group are examined in more detail. For each topic, there is a generic section, followed by ‘GWEN’ – individual notes for Governments, Workers’ organizations, Employers’ organizations and NGOs/international organizations. It is useful, of course, for all participants to consider all the roles, but you will want to concentrate – depending on the participants in the course – on the specifics. For government representatives, for example, there is a focus on policy and action on social issues such as poverty reduction, education and youth employment, as well as important trafficking-specific policy areas like migration, recruitment and labour. For workers’ organizations, the focus is more obviously on workplace actions including monitoring and standards, reporting, combating discrimination and protecting migrant workers. Employers will look at some of these areas too, as well as social auditing, codes of conduct and sectoral agreements. NGOs, international agencies and civil society representatives will focus on their role in influencing and informing policy, and the kinds of direct assistance that can be implemented. Textbook 3 focuses on ‘matters of process’ to underline the message that not only what you do is important, but how you do it. It covers areas such as advocacy and mobilization, working with the media, building partnerships, child participation, monitoring and evaluation, and learning and sharing lessons. Throughout the course, the focus is on child trafficking as a violation of the rights of the child, and a worst form of child labour.