Lima (Peru), 28 December 2023 - When a Venezuelan migrant fled her abusers in Ecuador and crossed the border illegally into Peru, she could have faced deportation and further traumatization.
Instead, due to a project initiated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), she received the support and protection she needed, despite her irregular status.
The 29-year-old woman was a victim of human trafficking and had endured sexual exploitation and forced labour in numerous locations after being tricked into accepting a fake job offer as a waitress.
She had walked several hours with her child and brother before reaching the border town of Tumbes, where she reported her case to Peruvian authorities.
“With such cases, immediate and specialist assistance is essential. This is why we established the ‘Binational Immediate Response Team’ between Peru and Ecuador,” says Gilberto Zuleta, a UNODC crime prevention expert based in Peru.
“This brings together all relevant anti-human trafficking, law enforcement, and criminal justice authorities in both countries to ensure victims get swift support and access to justice.”
The Binational Immediate Response Team, which is known as ERI from the Spanish name ‘Equipo de Respuesta Inmediata’, is part of the TRACK4TIP initiative that aims to combat human trafficking, especially of Venezuelan migrants, in South America and the Caribbean.
The Tumbes border crossing between Peru and Ecuador is highly frequented by Venezuelan migrants as they move between the two countries and try to reach North America.
When a case or suspected case of human trafficking is reported either by the victim or other stakeholder to authorities on either side of the border, the ERI team is notified and a meeting activated within 24 hours.
Focal points of the national institutions that are responsible for responding to cases of human trafficking are part of the binational team, and when needed, non-governmental organizations are included, too.
With UNODC’s support, the case is then analyzed to determine the type of assistance needed, the risks for the victim, the need to initiate legal proceedings and whether a visa on humanitarian grounds should be issued.
The approach is victim-centred, meaning that the needs of the victims are at the forefront of the ERI’s interventions.
Since the project was launched, together with the Ministries of Interior and Public Prosecutors Offices of Peru and Ecuador in April 2022, 12 victims of human trafficking from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, have been identified and assisted by the ERI team.
Venezuelan migrants throughout South America are at risk of being trafficked mainly due to their economical and migratory status, explains UNODC’s Gilberto Zuleta.
“They don't have a source of income and, due to their irregular status, don’t have access to the regular job market in the countries where they reside.”
He adds: “We see a lot of exploitation in sectors such as the fishing industry. The working conditions and the payment are poor. If the migrants complain, they’re told they will be reported to the authorities and deported.”
They also face the risk of being trafficked multiple times in different countries as they move throughout the region in search of shelter and safety.
The success of the Peru-Ecuador Response Team has generated interest for the establishment of similar teams on the borders between other countries in the region.
“Other countries in the region are interested in establishing similar binational responses, and UNODC is already working with the relevant authorities,” says Gilberto Zuleta.
TRACK4TIP is implemented in eight countries in South America and the Caribbean by UNODC with support from the US Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. The project is managed by UNODC’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section.
