Training for Labour Officers: Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling
The Ministry of Labour and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a workshop today in Belize City to offer specialized training for labour officers in the areas of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. The training will equip the offices with skills that will help them to identify and interview persons who are being trafficked or migrants who are being smuggled across our borders. News Five’s Andrea Polanco stopped in at the workshop today to find out more.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The International Office of Migration hosted a one-day specialized workshop in Belize City to train labour officers how to identify and interview persons who have been trafficked and smuggled.
Rosilyne Borland
Rosilyne Borland, Sr. Regional Thematic Specialist on Migrant Assistance, IOM
“It is really important that front line officials, whether they are health providers, labour inspectors or police or neighbours, anyone coming in contact with persons who might be trafficked, if they learn a little bit about the crime and what it looks like, the next time they see it they might suspect. They might say this looks like what I learnt in the workshop last week with IOM. So, knowing a few of the red flags, you don’t have to be a lawyer or a police to be able to say this is trafficking, smuggling or some other crime. Because forced labour is a part of trafficking; child labour is a part of trafficking, they are possibly coming in to contact when they do their jobs with situations that might not be correct. So, if they notice something is wrong they can save someone’s life; they can get someone out of that situation if something is not what it seems here and it might be human trafficking.”
Human trafficking and human smuggling, while connected, are different. Rosilyne Borland of the IOM shares key signs to look out for so that you know how to spot someone that’s being trafficked versus someone who is being smuggled.
Rosilyne Borland
“So, trafficking is a crime where someone is being forced to work against their will. So, are being tricked, they are being threatened so they might be forced to work in restaurant, shop or a farm. So, we look for things like signs of violence; they are not being paid; they have poor living conditions; they might sleep in the same place where they work – things like this; so, elements of exploitation and violence and abuse. Smuggling is against the migration law, so it is basically an international border crossing that is illegal. So, for smuggling you pay someone to help you get across the border illegally so whether you sneak across or you use fake documents and there is no necessary element of abuse and exploitation. It does happen sometimes to people who are smuggled but it is not the crime; the crime is actually the border crossing.”
And once you have identified persons who are being smuggled or trafficked – frontline personnel, like labour officers, must use specialized interview techniques to get the information from these persons. Borland says that while it is not easy, having the right skills can make a big difference.
Rosilyne Borland
“It is really challenging because many people who have been through human trafficking are really scared and they think that it will make their situation worse and they are afraid of the people who are trying to help them a lot of the times. So, a part of it is good communication skills; a quiet place where you can talk to them alone; telling them that they are safe and that they are not going to be detained. In Belize, if someone is a migrant who is not supposed to be here but they are a victim of trafficking who is forced, they will not be detained and deported. They will be helped but they don’t know that. So, in our country it is really important to tell them, look this is a crime and it is not okay what is happening to you and we are here to help you. So, it is also that you know what the law says and you know what to tell them about their rights and safety and responsibilities.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
