Let victims’ voices lead the way

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh yesterday called for a joint effort to battle the heinous crime in trafficking in persons so that it can be eradicated from Bangladesh and beyond.

On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2021, IOM Bangladesh Chief of Mission Giorgi Gigauri said the day is a reminder of risks faced by an estimated 7,00,000 Bangladeshis who choose to migrate abroad every year.

Vulnerable migrants are often the target of traffickers and find themselves in situations that can result in debt bondage, forced labour, sexual exploitation, forced marriages and other forms of modern slavery, Gigauri said in a message on the day.

"The Covid-19 situation has further exacerbated these problems," he said, adding that migrants have become even more vulnerable as some have lost their jobs while some are more desperate, looking for new jobs and new opportunities to feed their families.

Mentioning that trafficking affects people on an individual level, on a family level, and the level of society, he said the UN migration agency in Bangladesh has been working closely with the government to address the challenges.

"We are redoubling our efforts and looking at not only the whole of government but the whole of society approach," he said.

"As the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration (BDUNNM), we are also bringing together civil society and UN agencies to do our utmost to assist these migrants in need," he further said.

On the theme of this year's World Day Against Trafficking in Persons -- "Victims' Voices Lead the Way", he said, "We must listen to the people who have been affected so that we can assist them better."

"We must listen to the survivors of trafficking to hear about their experiences, their stories, and not only learn from them but use that knowledge to improve our interventions and our response to stop trafficking," he added.