VN steps up trafficking prevention

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam aims to reinforce its hotline system for human trafficking prevention nationwide and across the border.

The plan was revealed at a conference in Hà Nội yesterday on promoting the use of the hotline number 111 to support human trafficking survivors.    

The hotline was activated in December 2017 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to replace the children and consultation hotline (18001567), which was first set up in 2004 and had served as a system for human trafficking prevention thanks to a collaboration between MOLISA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since 2012.

Separate call centres for human trafficking prevention were established in the capital city of Hà Nội, the central city of Đà Nẵng and the southern province of An Giang, creating an information sharing and survivor support network among the three main regions of the country.

MOLISA and JICA will continue their co-operation during 2019-21 to improve the operation of these call centres.

JICA will provide equipment and facilities, strengthen the capabilities of counselors and enhance co-operation among the centres, MOLISA, the police and other concerned agencies.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyễn Thị Hà said: “As human trafficking gets more complicated, there is a rise in demand for information and services on safe migration. Establishing a national hotline on human trafficking prevention is a practical solution for the issue in Việt Nam.”

From its activation in October 2013 to the end of November this year, the hotline received 13,627 calls in total. 17 per cent of them came from relatives and friends of victims, and 4.3 per cent came from the victims. — VNS