According to the global report on trafficking in persons 2016 of United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), more than 500 different trafficking flows were detected between 2012 and 2014. Countries in Western and Southern Europe detected victims of 137 different citizenships. Trafficking victims from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia are trafficked to a wide range of destinations. A total of 69 countries reported to have detected victims from Sub-Saharan Africa between 2012 and 2014.

Victims from Sub-Saharan Africa were mainly detected in Africa, the Middle East and Western and Southern Europe. There are also records of trafficking flows from Africa to South - East Asia and the Americas. Over the last 10 years, the profile of detected trafficking victims has changed. Although most detected victims are still women, children and men now make up larger shares of the total number of victims than they did a decade ago.

In 2014, children comprised 28 percent (20 percent of boys and 8 percent of girls) of detected victims and men, 21 percent (in 2004 men comprised 13 percent). In parallel with the significant increase in the share of men among detected trafficking victims, the share of victims who are trafficked for forced labor has also increased. About four in ten victims detected between 2012 and 2014 were trafficked for forced labor and out of these victims 63 percent were men. Trafficking for sexual exploitation and for forced labor are the most prominently detected forms, but trafficking victims can also be exploited in many other ways. Victims are trafficked to be used as beggars, for forced or sham marriages, benefit fraud, production of pornography or for organ removal.

In Vietnam, according to the report of Criminal Police Department, Ministry of Public Security, from 2011 to 2015, there were 2,205 trafficking in persons cases detected in the whole country, arrested 3,342 offenders and rescued 4,495 victims. In 10 months of 2016, in all over the country, there were 388 trafficking in persons cases detected, arrested 521 offenders, 715 victims were detected. The victims in Vietnam were mostly trafficked to China (70 percent), the other was trafficked to Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand, etc.

Experts and participants at the training course on “Trafficking victim identification and victim-centered approach for criminal police force” at Quang Ninh province

Facing with more and more complicated human trafficking situation with the number of victims has increased, enhancing the capacity for law enforcement including police force which is the front line force in human trafficking prevention and investigation has been important.

Under the approval of the Leaders of Ministry of Public Security, the People’s Police Academy (PPA) has closely cooperated with AAPTIP Program to edit the training manual on “Human trafficking investigation for Criminal Police Force” then organized a training course on “Reactive investigation in trafficking in persons cases for criminal police force” at the People’s Police Academy (from May 8th  - 12th, 2017) and another training course on “Trafficking victim identification and victim-centered approach for criminal police force” in Quang Ninh province (from August 28th - 30th, 2017). At the training courses, the international and Vietnamese experts have shared a lot of knowledge and experience on international and domestic legislation relating human trafficking, trafficking in persons cases investigation process, trafficking victim identification and victim-centered approach basing on international experience. Besides, participants have analyzed, discussed and role played to handle many case studies.

The training cooperation program has been very useful for the attended participants to enhance the knowledge, capacity on human trafficking investigation. Additionally, the participants have had opportunity to interact and share experience with colleagues from different provinces and cities in all over the country which would create strong network to favorably serve for human trafficking case investigation in the future.

The mentioned training courses has marked the successfully cooperation between the PPA and AAPTIP Program, partly contributed to enhance the capacity for lecturers and training quality of the Academy. It’s also contributed to the success of Australia-Asia Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Vietnam./.

Nguyen Van - ICD