Sharing best practices in combatting human trafficking

Good afternoon! First of all, on behalf of Asia Pacific. Mission for Migrants I would like to thank and congratulate the Christian Conference of Asia for inviting us here to ‘Diakonal ministry of the Church in developing effective response to combat human trafficking in Asia.’ I cannot imagine after I served the CCA as an intern of Decade to Overcome Violence focusing on Asia in 2005 I will be sharing with you the APMM’s best practices in combatting all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery.

There are more than 11 million migrants and around 9 million refugees in Asia Pacific and Middle East region. These massive movement of people is but a result of failed economic policies that forced millions to leave their families and home countries hoping to survive from poverty, unemployment, war and conflict, environmental destruction, and climate change etc. The pandemic crisis compounded by government policies perpetuating discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and marginalization exacerbated the already crisis situation of migrants, refugees and other displaced people that human traffickers are taking advantage of.

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) a regional migrant serving institution established in Hong Kong in 1984 by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) and St. John Cathedral is pioneering in movement building of grassroots migrants in Asia Pacific and Middle East region. APMM through our programs on advocacy and campaign, education and research, network organizing and cooperation address the root causes of forced migration and massive movement of people and of combatting all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and modern slavery.

First and foremost, let me reiterate that in final analysis trafficking in its various forms could be categorize into two, 1) Trafficking as defined by Palermo Protocol and the Trafficking in Person Report of the US government as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit1 and 2) Legal trafficking facilitated by governments through their labour export program (LEP) that forced their citizen to work abroad in exchange of millions of dollars of revenues that give life to their ailing economies like the Philippines and Indonesia.

A case study To share with you our practices in combatting all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery let me share with you the campaign against education trafficking that the APMM are involved with:

In 2016 the Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), one of APMM partner in New Zealand successfully held a campaign against education trafficking. They did a research, advocacy, lobbying, and campaign that exposed the syndicate victimizing youth and students in the Philippines and South Asia aspiring to study and work abroad.

The UNEMIG learned that recruited youth and student paid more than USD $8,000.00 to the rouge agencies operating in connivance with so-called educational institutions and businesses. Syndicates operates in the country with impunity promising youth and student jobs and permanent residency in New Zealand. But eventually they end as source of cheap and docile labour working in restaurants, bars and some are forced into prostitution in Auckland.2

The worst of it all, after graduation from the educational institutions where they studied, these youth and students found that the educational institutions are not even recognized by the New Zealand government.

Such campaign not only helped the victims to be empowered and be restored of their humanity and dignity. But more importantly it held immigration and government accountable that eventually led to policy reforms and protection of the most vulnerable sectors like international students and migrants.

Combatting all forms of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery. APMM’s partners in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and in Middle East region combat trafficking and all forms that dehumanized migrants, refugees and other displaced people with the following approaches:

1. Direct services and clear orientation about rights and welfare. Providing direct services and support to the victims and upholding their well-being should not be the end goal. Rather coupled with provisions of support and direct assistance, the victims should be empowered about their civil and political rights, understand the root causes of their victimization and the accountability of the government who are supposed to protect their well-being. Like the case of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih an Indonesian migrant worker who was a victim of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery in Hong Kong. APMM partners like the Mission for Migrant Workers and Asia Migrants Coordinating Body provided her with legal assistance, sanctuary and other necessities while she was attending court hearings. These organizations are also instrumental in developing Erwiana as a migrant right’s defender and is now active in advocacy, campaign and lobbying for migrants.

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