GLO.ACT supports the federal police in providing training on human trafficking in the airport of Guarulhos

Photo: UNODC

São Paulo, Brazil, 14 December 2018 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT ) organized alongside the federal police a seminar on the "Exchange of Knowledge affected by the Surveillance, Assistance and Recognition of Victims of Trafficking in Persons" at the airport of Guarulhos, São Paulo, between 21 to 22 November 2018, for approximately 50 participants.

The seminar promoted the better identification and assistance provided to Trafficking in Persons (TIP) victims with the support of those that operate at the international airport of São Paulo, in Guarulhos. The international airport of São Paulo is Brazil's largest and the busiest in Latin America. In 2017, 37,816,000 passengers passed through the airport, of which 23,819,000 were Brazilian nationals, while 13,997,000 were foreigners. The airport is a stage for intensive migratory movements, including vulnerable people of different nationalities who may be subject to exploitation nationally and/or internationally. At the same time, criminal networks and criminal actors engaged in human trafficking have intensified their action in the face of the national economic crisis as well as those fleeing their own national crisis.

The aim of the seminar was to secure the buy-in and support of airport employees in the identification and assistance of victims of TIP. The seminar covered topics such as: national and international legislation on TIP, assistance and protection to the victims of TIP, indicators and how to identify and proceed in case of detection of a possible case of TIP, interview techniques and the rights and responsibilities of undocumented and documented foreigners in Brazil.

Additional aims were to:

• Encourage the exchange of information between professionals who work at the airport of Guarulhos and are likely to come into contact with potential TIP victims;

• Promote awareness on the fight against TIP and the assistance that needs to be provided to potential victims;

• Train professionals on the conduct to be adopted when identifying a possible TIP victim;

• Sensitize professionals on the relevance of facing TIP and the relevance of their professional performance in such a crime. 

Photo: UNODC

During the seminar Mr. Brasílio Caldeira Brant, Director of the National Identification Institute of the Federal Police highlighted the importance of the Biometric Registration of Missing Persons database, as well as the institutes tools in combating TIP. For his part, Mr. Carlos Magno de Deus Rodrigues, focal point of the Center for International Police Cooperation of the Federal Police discussed migration flows, including TIP, the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) and related crimes, analyzing cases investigated at the airport. While Ms. Gabriela Chamorro Concha, from the INTERPOL Regional Office in Buenos Aires, gave a lecture on interviewing child TIP victim. 

 
 Photo: UNODC

Participants included representatives from the Immigration Police Station of Guarulhos, employees of the major airlines operating in Brazil, including LATAM, AVIANCA, AZUL, MAP, PASSAREDO, and GOL, the National Institute of identification, the Department of Private Investigation of the Federal Police, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), civil society organizations operating in São Paulo, the Federal Public Defenders Office, the International Airport Specialized Police Station, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Coordination to combat TIP of the Ministry of Justice, the Brazilian Association of Airlines, the Center of Reference and Assistance for Immigrants, among others.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), €11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact:

www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-tr afficking/glo-act/  

Email: glo.act@un.org 

Twitter:   @glo_act  

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