‘They know they will be exploited during their journey’ –
New UN report on human trafficking
(GENEVA, 19 June 2015) – The United Nations Special
Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, called on
governments across the world to fully recognize the rights of trafficked
persons, “who are entitled to assistance, protection and access to justice and
remedies regardless of their residence status or whether perpetrators are
identified, investigated or prosecuted.”
“Not all migrants are trafficked. However, a significant
portion of migrants are trafficked but are not recognised as such by national
authorities,” the expert stated in her latest report* to the Human Rights
Council, in which she reminds States of their obligation to ensure policy
coherence between anti-trafficking policies and migration and asylum policies.
“Moreover, a much greater portion of migrants are at high
risk of being trafficked, especially when they are forced to leave their
countries as a consequence of conflicts, violence, persecution, torture or
other human rights violations, or extreme poverty,” she warned.
Ms. Giammarinaro stressed that the fight against
trafficking, forced labour or slavery “is hampered by criminalisation and
detention of migrants, restrictive migration policies denying any opportunity
to migrate regularly including for work purposes, or not allowing migrants,
asylum seekers and refugees to work regularly once in the country.”
In her report, the human rights expert stresses that
governments should be aware that pushing back people fleeing conflicts not only
is contrary to their international obligations, but also results in denying
trafficked persons the possibility to claim their rights.
“People entering a migration process, or being smuggled,
can become exploited and trafficked during their journey, or at destination, because
of their social vulnerability,” she said. “People crossing the sea, if they
survive their perilous journey, are very likely to be severely exploited, as we
can see in agriculture, construction, domestic work, touristic industry, or in
prostitution, in various areas of the world.
“Migrants are often deprived of any belongings during
their journey, many are subject to inhuman treatment during their stay in
transit countries, waiting for a further journey, women and girls get often
raped and sexually exploited,” the expert noted. “Some migrants are even aware
that they are going to be sold to someone else, who will exploit them.
In order to prevent and fight against trafficking, Ms.
Giammarinaro urged States to address a broader area of exploitation and social
vulnerabilities, and adopt effective measures, based on international agreement
and cooperation, aimed at ensuring safe and regular channels of migration,
effective asylum policies, and social inclusion of migrants, asylum seekers and
refugees.
In view of the recent tragedies involving migrants in the
Mediterranean Sea and in South East Asia, the Special Rapporteur told the UN
Human Rights Council she will address –as a priority- the link between
trafficking and migration, as well as the link between trafficking and
conflict, post conflict and other crisis situations.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s report (A/HRC/29/38):
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/Pages/Annual.aspx
ENDS
Maria Grazia Giammarinaro (Italy) was appointed as Special
Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children by the UN
Human Rights Council in June 2014, to promote the prevention of trafficking in
persons in all its forms, and to encourage measures to uphold and protect the
human rights of victims. Ms. Giammarinaro has been a Judge since 1991 and
currently serves as a Pre-Trial Judge at the Criminal Court of Rome. She was
the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human
Beings of the OSCE, and served in the European Commission’s Directorate-General
for Justice, Freedom and Security in Brussels, where she was responsible for
combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. She drafted
the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and
protecting its victims. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/Pages/TraffickingIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For more information and media requests, please contact
Selma Vadala (svadala@ohchr.org / +41 22 917 9108) or write to
srtrafficking@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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