Practical guidance contained in this publication provide information on how to develop and implement referral mechanisms for the protection and assistance of migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse. The objective is to strengthen operational responses and thereby improve protection and assistance at the local, national and transnational levels. The publication should be considered as complementing the IOM Handbook on Protection and Assistance for Migrants Vulnerable to Violence, Exploitation and Abuse.

IOM has had some 13 years of experience in implementing counter-trafficking activities and has provided assistance to over 14,000 victims of trafficking in all regions of the world. With a growing number of organizations, especially local non-governmental organizations, now providing or intending to provide assistance to victims of trafficking, IOM would like to share its experience and lessons learned. This Handbook summarizes and systematizes this experience. IOM recognizes that each victim is unique and requires and desires different assistance. As well, the nature of trafficking is different around the world and is ever evolving, requiring changing responses. Therefore, this Handbook is not meant to provide a single methodology for the provision of assistance to victims of trafficking, but to offer suggestions and guidance, based on IOM’s many years of experience. IOM hopes that it will be helpful to all organizations providing such assistance to victims, but especially for organizations who are just beginning to develop victim assistance programmes and can benefit from IOM’s experiences. This Handbook provides guidance and advice necessary to effectively deliver a full range of assistance to victims of trafficking from the point of initial contact and screening up to the effective social reintegration of the individuals concerned.

What makes migrants vulnerable to human trafficking and associated forms of exploitation and abuse? A new study, undertaken by Minderoo Foundation’s Walk Free initiative and IOM, examines the connection between migration and modern slavery, and focuses on which migrants are most vulnerable, and in what circumstances, to modern slavery. The report explores various sites of vulnerability where migrants are particularly susceptible to human trafficking, forced labour and modern slavery. These include private dwellings, border crossings, irregular migration routes and conflict zones. The report illustrates that migrants are most vulnerable to exploitation in situations where the authority of the State and society are unable to protect them. It also analyses the characteristics of victims that are thought to contribute to their vulnerability. In addition, the study explains some characteristics of offenders, including worldviews that allow them to rationalize the exploitation of others. Lastly, the study looks at examples of enabling environments or contexts, such as restrictive immigration policies, that engender or exacerbate vulnerability.

This Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) provides a framework for coordinated, needs-based and prioritized humanitarian action in Myanmar in 2020. It has been developed by the Myanmar Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), based on the 2020 Myanmar Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and a comprehensive analysis of response capacities. It sets out the humanitarian component of a broader engagement by the United Nations (UN) and its partners in Myanmar which spans relief, recovery, peace-building and longer-term development activities. This HRP recognizes the primary role of the Government of Myanmar in the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation of humanitarian assistance within the country. The overarching goal of the HRP is to ensure that the physical and mental wellbeing of people affected by conflict or disasters in targeted locations is improved, minimum living standards are ensured, durable solutions in line with international standards are achieved wherever feasible, and respect for the rights of affected people is enhanced.

The lack of reliable and comparable data on trafficking in human beings remains one of the main obstacles in effectively preventing and combating trafficking in human beings as well as protecting and assisting victims. IOM and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior have recently published the Guidelines for the Collection of Data on Trafficking in Human Beings (THB), Including Comparable Indicators, developed to create the necessary basis for an improved collection, comparison and sharing of data on THB. The Guidelines seek to enhance the capacity of the national authorities to collect and share data as well as to contribute to EU-wide efforts to enhance data collection and to foster cooperation among EU Member States.

The Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Plan is focused on life-saving and protection assistance for the most vulnerable people. The Plan targets 1.2 million people, including all Rohingya refugees, and 300,000 Bangladeshi host communities over the next six months.The plan prioritizes the provision of life-saving assistance, improving the conditions and management of settlement areas, as well as promoting protection, dignity and respect for the Rohingya refugees.

Despite a significant scale-up of the humanitarian response by the United Nations and humanitarian partners since 2016, in support of the Government of Nigeria, the humanitarian crisis in the BAY states continues. Civilians still bear the brunt of a conflict that has led to widespread forced displacement and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. New and protracted displacement, triggered by the conflict, continues to affect access to basic services and disrupts the livelihoods of millions of people. Acute malnutrition among children under the age of five is above emergency thresholds in many parts of the BAY states.

Out of the 17 SDGs, trafficking in persons is specifically mentioned in three targets under three goals: 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 16 (Peace Justice and Strong Institutions). However, many other SDG targets and goals are relevant to addressing trafficking in persons, an issue deeply rooted in development issues at-large including poverty, education, child labour, abuse and exploitation, gender inequality and discrimination, migration and the effects of climate change. This issue brief provides an explanation of these three specific targets as well as several other SDGs relevant to addressing trafficking in persons, and makes recommendations about what States can do to achieve them by 2030

The IOM Glossary on Migration is an accessible and extensive collection of definitions of migration-related terminology. It is designed for a broad range of actors engaging with migration at the international level. It also provides some insights on regional and national practices. The purpose of this Glossary is to develop a common understanding and consistent use of migration and migration-related terms based, whenever possible, on international standards. Creating uniformity in language is an important starting point in migration discussions to ensure an accurate understanding and coherent exchange of information among actors working in the field of migration. This updated version of the Glossary reflects recent developments in the use of migration-related terms, drawing definitions from a wide range of reliable sources or reflecting IOM’s understanding of migration-related concepts.

It appeared necessary to carry out a synthetic comparative analysis of 8 legislations applied in countries of the Maghreb and the Sahel, to succeed in integrating a new bill on human trafficking in Mauritania in a coherent and harmonized regional framework, a process in which the Burkinabé, Malian and Senegalese women also got involved by preparing a draft amendment to their trafficking law. Comparative analysis of the laws of Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Tunisia and Mauritania seek to allow Mauritanian authorities to initiate review aimed at strengthen existing legislative provisions.