Public information campaign to combat human trafficking launched

• By Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms in collaboration with International Organisation for Migration

A public information campaign to combat human trafficking was officially launched on 10 February by the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms. This campaign is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms. 

Human trafficking is an organised crime committed both, within a country and across borders. It is an offence affecting men, women and children and is a punishable crime under the Penal Code of Sri Lanka. Trafficking can take different forms including labour exploitation and sexual exploitation. Migrant workers can be exposed to the risk of trafficking through deception and risk being subjected to physical or sexual abuse and forced labour-like practices. Within the country, women and children can be exposed to the risk of being trafficked for sexual and/or labour exploitation through deceptive or coercive means. 

The complexity of the crime, difficulty in identifying victims, challenges in prosecuting perpetrators and the ever-changing nature of the crime itself, requires a collective response from the government, civil society and other stakeholders. 

This public information and media campaign aims to raise awareness among the public about human trafficking through TV and radio advertisements, billboards and street dramas, highlighting labour exploitation and sexual exploitation which could take place within the country as well as across borders. Steps have further been taken to raise awareness among district and divisional level state officials and community-based organisations on combatting human trafficking. 

The Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms and the National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force comprised of representatives from 18 key Government institutions, are making endeavours to combat this crime. Public awareness raising is a key component of the Government’s National Strategic Action Plan to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking. 

Some of the key measures taken by the Government include adoption of ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ for the identification, protection and referral of victims of human trafficking endorsed by the cabinet of ministers, ratification of the UN Trafficking Protocol, establishment of dedicated antihuman trafficking units within the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). 

Since 2002, IOM has supported Government’s efforts to address human trafficking in Sri Lanka. IOM further operates a hotline to assist, refer cases and provide further information on human trafficking. Anyone can call the hotline on: 0766 588 688. The IOM also assists victims of human trafficking through a victim assistance grant.

The human trafficking public information campaign is part of a project implemented by the International Organisation for Migration in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms with funding from the United States Department of State – Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. 

Pix by Lasantha Kumara