First OSCE live-exercise to fight human trafficking along migration routes kicks-off at the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units

VICENZA, Italy, 14 November 2016 – Over 50 professionals from law enforcement, labour inspectorates, financial investigative units, prosecutorial offices, NGOs and social services from 31 states and Partners for Co-operation are participating in the first OSCE live simulation to combat trafficking along migration routes, which kicks off today at the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, Italy.

This pilot training, carried out by the OSCE in partnership with the Italian Carabinieri, is designed as a realistic and intensive one-week, expert-developed exercise, that simulates cases of labour and sexual exploitation among migrants, including child victims.

“We wish to enhance the criminal justice response to prosecute human traffickers operating along migration routes” says Madina Jarbussynova, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. “At the same time, we aim to better equip frontline operators to identify potential victims and ensure adequate and effective referral mechanisms”.

The project received support from the governments of Andorra, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Monaco, as well as Switzerland.

This unique exercise takes place at the CoESPU training centre managed by Carabinieri, and required mobilizing more than a hundred support staff from local authorities and civil society networks, as well as from leading international organizations such as UNODC, UNHCR, IOM, EUROPOL and INTERPOL.

“It gives us great pride to pilot this format with the OSCE” Tullio Del Sette, General Commander of the Carabinieri commented. “The scale of the current migration flows requires innovative responses to counter human exploitation.”

This project is part of ongoing efforts of the OSCE to prevent and tackle human exploitation within the framework of the current migratory flows. Two additional training exercises for an additional 150 practitioners are planned for 2017.