Middle East and North Africa: Combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling

٢٩ يونيو، ٢٠١٨

AMMAN, Jordan – A specialized training course in combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling has just been delivered to 25 officers from across Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Participants representing nine countries were from national units including immigration, counter-smuggling and anti-trafficking.
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Participants at the five-day (24-28 June) session were from national units including immigration, counter-smuggling and anti-trafficking, representing nine countries.

The course aimed to enhance their overall capacity to identify victims of both human trafficking and migrant smuggling, whilst also adopting specialized investigative skills and multidisciplinary translational responses in order to dismantle the criminal networks behind the crimes.

A victim-centric approach

Adopting a victim-centric approach was a major component of the training, including sessions on:

  • Understanding the victims’ perspective;
  • Interview skills for officers;
  • Identifying the various actors who come into contact with victims of trafficking and smuggling;
  • Models to facilitate the identification and treatment of victims.

Sharing best practice

Participants also gave national presentations in order to share and draw from concrete case examples. This exchange in best practice is crucial to identifying regional trends, building coordinated police efforts and identifying opportunities for joint operations in the region.

Participating countries were: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The training course was funded by the INTERPOL Foundation for a Safer World, a rallying point for likeminded organizations and persons to unite with INTERPOL and the global law enforcement community in a joint response to today’s challenges. Under its umbrella, the Vulnerable Communities Project seeks to boost law enforcement capacity, deliver specialized training, nurture interagency collaboration and organize regional operational exercises.