OSCE acts to combat human trafficking along migration routes

VIENNA, 6 July 2015 – Protecting groups vulnerable to human trafficking along migration routes and in destination countries is the focus of the 2015 Alliance conference, where during the next two days leading experts are looking for new ways to assist at-risk migrants.

“This has become an increasingly urgent international issue with serious security implications for the OSCE area and neighbouring regions,” Aleksandar Nikolić, Serbia’s State Secretary of the Interior Ministry, said on Monday. “Serbia’s 2015 OSCE Chairmanship has consequently decided to make this issue one of its priorities, as human trafficking constitutes a grave violation of human rights and an appalling crime.”

Currently, there are about one billion migrants worldwide, many of whom are at risk of being trafficked and exploited. Often impoverished and jobless, they become easy targets for those who abuse them in situations of modern-day slavery, part of an illegal multi-billion euro industry.

In 2013 and 2014, the OSCE implemented together with UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) a joint project on strengthening the understanding of the link between irregular migration and transnational crimes impacting migrants along the Eastern Mediterranean route.

"Migrants are extremely vulnerable, and not only to the predations of smugglers. At every stage of their journey, they may be subject to violence and exploitation, and may be at risk of being victimized by traffickers. This shocking and unacceptable situation remains a key challenge facing the international community today," said Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

"The Alliance, by bringing together diverse partners, including national authorities as well as international, regional and non-governmental organizations, can help to promote the co-operative and comprehensive responses we need."
 
OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier also stressed the importance of partnerships with international organizations in the fight against trafficking: “The Alliance conference is the ideal forum for taking stock of our joint work and exploring new ways to co-operate. This extreme form of exploitation is a growing challenge to European security, but more importantly, it is a human tragedy that demands that we redouble our efforts to help vulnerable people build a future free of poverty, violence and exploitation for themselves and their families.”

The Alliance against Trafficking in Persons is a broad international forum initiated by the OSCE. It brings together regional, international and intergovernmental, as well as non-governmental organizations, to jointly prevent and combat human trafficking.