Islamabad, August 2024 - From May to July, UNODC, under the EU-funded GLO.ACT (PROTECT) project, successfully delivered further support to law enforcement colleagues in Pakistan as part of the ongoing effort to prevent and detect the threat of human trafficking and migrant smuggling that affects the country.
The global threat from human trafficking and migrant smuggling, exacerbated by economic, social, conflict, and climate challenges, continues to generate vast wealth for criminals who have little regard for the well-being of their victims. We cannot precisely know how many people are impacted by these crimes each year, how many die at the hands of smugglers and traffickers, or fully comprehend the lived reality of those controlled by organized crime groups profiting from the exploitation of fellow human beings. However, we do know that this exploitation occurs on a global scale, with significant impacts in Pakistan and on its citizens.
As the threat from human trafficking and migrant smuggling persists in Pakistan, UNODC under the GLO.ACT (PROTECT) project has partnered with law enforcement agencies to develop and deliver a series of training courses and a handbook for officers involved in investigating and prosecuting traffickers and smugglers.
The programme was developed following a series of consultative meetings with officers from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and regional police agencies, who were asked to share their views on current challenges and needs in this area. Based on this consultation, several bespoke training workshops were delivered in Islamabad between May and July 2024. The workshop were two-day events with representatives from the FIA, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Punjab.
The training featured presentations from senior officers from Pakistan, including serving FIA officers and former members of the FIA Training Academy, as well as an international consultant with global experience in human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The training included presentations, discussions, interactive group exercises, and group presentations. The workshops covered:
The final session was a three-day workshop focused on Training the Trainers, which aimed to support trainers in developing the necessary skills to deliver training on investigating and prosecuting human trafficking and migrant smuggling. This session included components such as the use of icebreakers, the concept of training, reflection and learning in training, designing a training curriculum and training plans, and the delivery processes using various training tools. Students were able to develop training plans and present them to the trainers. This session also introduced a trainer's handbook, which UNODC is finalizing. The handbook will compile all the necessary background material needed to develop a training programme focused on tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling, with several chapters that mirror the above training.
PROTECT: Improving Migration Management & Migrant Protection in Selected Silk Route Countries
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is implementing the European Union-(EU) funded PROTECT initiative within the framework of GLO.ACT across Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. This initiative also addresses challenges in the broader Central Asia region, including the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, with a primary focus on enhancing the effectiveness of responses to trafficking in persons (TIP) and smuggling of migrants (SOM), particularly in relation to criminal justice. Meanwhile, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is responsible for implementing the PROTECT initiative in Afghanistan (specifically through virtual MRC Afghanistan), Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Their primary objectives include improving gender-sensitive and rights-based migration governance at the national level and establishing Migrant Resource Centers (MRCs).
This project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
Martin Reeve (Mr.)
Coordinator, GLO.ACT
Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section
Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch
UNODC
Golda Myra ROMA (Ms.)
Senior Project Manager
ICMPD Silk Routes Region – Budapest Process