A conference jointly organized by IOM and the US Embassy in Berlin
on 18 October on human trafficking for labour exploitation will
focus on practical ways to identify and assist victims of
trafficking in Germany.
The conference, organized to mark the 4th EU Anti-Trafficking
Day and the 10th Anniversary of the Palermo Protocol adopted by the
UN to prevent and combat human trafficking and to assist victims of
trafficking, will bring together experts from the United States and
Germany to also find ways to help government and civil society work
more closely on assisting victims.
This includes looking at how labour inspectorates can help
identify victims and safeguard their rights in the workplace. A
representative from the US Department of Labor will present on the
US government's enforcement of labour law to counter this type of
human trafficking.
"In Germany, the issue of trafficking for labour exploitation is
of growing concern as a number of possible cases have been
identified lately, mainly in agriculture, in restaurants and in
domestic work," says Argentina Szabados, IOM Chief of Mission in
Germany. "This conference can play an important role in not only
raising awareness of the issue here, but in changing the way this
type of human trafficking is being addressed."
The response to human trafficking in Germany has largely focused
on prosecution of traffickers with the role of the victim confined
to acting as a witness for the prosecution in court proceedings.
There are few instances of a victim of trafficking for labour
exploitation receiving compensation or due wages.
The conference will be attended by Ambassador-at-Large Luis
CdeBaca, head of the US State Department's Office to Monitor and
Combat Trafficking. Ambassador CdeBaca will deliver a key-note
speech at the conference. His office is also celebrating its 10th
anniversary.
"The commitment of the United States, in particular the
Ambassador and his office, to combating human trafficking has done
much to generate global awareness of the phenomenon," adds
Szabados.
The conference is part of an IOM initiative "Berlin Alliance
against Trafficking for Labour Exploitation" implemented by IOM,
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the German
Confederation of Trade Unions Berlin-Brandenburg and the Berlin
Senate for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs. The aim of the
initiative is to develop and implement a comprehensive response to
labour trafficking in Germany as well as raise awareness on the
issue in the region.
For more information, please contact:
Philipp Schwertmann
IOM Berlin
Tel: +49 30 27877818
E-mail:
"mailto:pschwertmann@iom.int">pschwertmann@iom.int