Counter-Trafficking

Trafficking in persons is a crime that violates human rights, destroys lives and affects every country in the world. While the global scale of human trafficking is difficult to quantify precisely, as many as 800,000 people may be trafficked across international borders annually, with many more trafficked within the borders of their own countries. Human traffickers and organized criminal groups earn billions of dollars in profits from the exploitation of others, many of whom are victims of severe human rights violations.

Since the mid-1990s, IOM and its partners have provided protection and assistance to close to 100,000 men, women and children in the world, who were trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or for organ removal. Agriculture, fishing, domestic work and hospitality, commercial sexual exploitation, pornography, begging, construction and manufacturing are some of the sectors in which victims were exploited.

The primary aim of IOM Türkiye is to prevent trafficking in persons and protect victims while offering safe and sustainable options for them to rebuild their lives. IOM can support them through integration and/or voluntary return to their home countries, keeping the protection of their rights and safety at the center of our work.

Since 2009, IOM Türkiye has implemented a broad range of activities in partnership with government institutions, NGOs and international organizations. IOM’s approach is based on three principles that govern all its counter-trafficking activities globally:

• Respect for human rights

• Physical, mental and social well-being of the individual and their community

• Sustainability through institutional capacity building of governments and civil society

IOM Türkiye works to address the many areas of counter-trafficking, within the overall context of providing solutions for managing migration,  in three ways:

Prevention: IOM raises awareness among law enforcement, judges, prosecutors and other related authorities. IOM also equips vulnerable populations with information necessary to better protect themselves from the tactics used by traffickers to attract potential victims.

Protection: IOM provides direct assistance to victims of trafficking, both directly and through implementing partners. In addition, IOM has been providing financial and technical support to specialized shelters in the country.

Technical Cooperation: IOM strengthens the capacity of public institutions and civil society organizations in Türkiye to better address the challenges posed by human trafficking, such as law enforcement, judges and public prosecutors. IOM provides technical support in the development of counter-trafficking legislation, policies and procedures and infrastructural upgrades, including National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and the National Referral Mechanism for Trafficked Persons.

To learn more, visit https://www.iom.int/counter-trafficking.