Youth suggests ways to stop human trafficking

Youths at a case-study workshop recently pointed out a lack of information on safe migration procedures as one of the key issues in human trafficking.

They also suggested measures to stop human trafficking, including launching awareness campaigns and promoting safe migration with incentives.

The case-study workshop on 'Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration' was organised, by EMK Center, The Business Standard and WARBE Development Foundation. It is a part of EMK Center's week-long campaign on human trafficking prevention and awareness.

Youth and students, participating from different parts of Bangladesh and from overseas as well, asked questions and sought clarifications.

Commissioner of National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh (NHRCB) Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed and President of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association Advocate Salma Ali participated in the workshop.

Kamal Uddin Ahmed shed some light on the different forms of human trafficking and the difference between trafficking of humans and illegal migration.

Advocate Salma Ali blamed corruption at different levels for facilitating human trafficking.

Participants of the webinar also discussed inclusion of safe migration in primary education curriculum, promoting mass surveillance by engaging society at large and broadcasting stories of deported individuals on national television and radio.

With regards to tracking illegal migrants abroad, it was suggested that committees of Bangladeshi expatriates can be formed under the leadership of Bangladeshi embassies or missions who will report back to the Bangladesh government whenever they are made aware about the arrival of Bangladeshis in their locality, they also suggested.

Additionally, each embassy or mission will maintain a dashboard to track such cases, they added.

Zaheer Abbas, a student of UWC Mahindra College, tabled the idea of appointing Migration Buddies at local levels and connecting them with local government representatives to ensure the flow of information on safe migration.

Youth Policy Forum's Md Miftahul Alam suggested the idea of introducing a specialised tribunal for human trafficking to ensure better reporting of human trafficking cases.

The webinar was divided into three parts: panel discussion, case study workshop and presentation of recommendations.

Following the panel discussion, participants and guests were divided into four groups where they were provided with a case of human trafficking to study, analyse and come up with solutions to prevent such cases.

After the recommendations were presented, experts emphasised the improvement of transparency in the immigration process and appreciated youths for coming up with new ideas to prevent human trafficking.

In 2010, January was declared by presidential proclamation as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in USA; since then, American spaces around the world, along with the people of the United States, commemorate January as the month of human trafficking prevention and awareness.

Sayed Saiful Haque, chairman of WARBE Development Foundation, moderated the session. Youth Policy Forum, a youth-led group of Bangladeshi individuals, was the youth partner of the workshop.