Usually I speak of the positive effects of migration and how this
global and historic human phenomenon benefits both migrants and
society. Today, however, we are discussing the darkest side of
migration – the exploitation and abuse of the most vulnerable
of all migrants: children, both boys and girls.

There are no concrete statistics on the scale of child
trafficking, with estimates varying widely. The recently released
Second Annual Report on Victims of Trafficking produced by IOM and
the Stability Pact Task Force/IOM-sponsored Regional Clearing Point
in Belgrade concludes that victims, including children, are
increasingly being trafficked for forced labour, begging and
delinquency, as well as sexual exploitation or a combination of
both. Statistics remain elusive due to the clandestine nature of
trafficking in human beings and the lack of comparable data.

There are a variety of reasons for the lack of comparable
statistics. Notable with data relating to children is that age is
difficult to determine, and data is recorded based on the age of
the victim upon identification rather than recruitment. Of victims
identified and assisted in South Eastern Europe in 2003, 35% were
under 18 years old on identification, however 59% were under 18
years old when recruited. Thus the actual number of trafficked
children is likely to be higher than statistics reveal.

Child victims of trafficking – boys and girls -- are often
subject to a variety of forms of exploitation including sexual
exploitation, forced labour, begging and delinquency. There is
emerging evidence to suggest that the exploitation of trafficked
children is often progressive - once they are caught up in the
situation, they are vulnerable to repeated and various
exploitations.

Allow me to quickly go through what I consider to be some of the
most worrisome aspects of child trafficking today.

There are huge gaps in the identification of child victims, and
while there is no evidence to suggest a change in the overall
number of children trafficked, NGOs say that the majority of
victims are children when they are recruited. For example, there
remains a focus on trafficking for sexual exploitation, but more
attention and recognition needs to be given to other forms of child
trafficking in which they are compelled into begging, forced labour
and criminal activities. Under-reporting is still evident as in
many cases children are not identified as trafficked or exploited
but seen as delinquents, and the distinction between adult and
child victims still remains too rare.

In some countries, trafficking legislation and practice continue
to focus on foreign victims, whereas there are indications of a
significant growth in internal trafficking in children. More
attention should be paid to child victims of internal
trafficking.

Here in Europe, IOM and other agencies have noted a new trend of
children trafficked with their parents or mothers, often for
exploitation in street begging. This may be a strategy to foil
authorities or simply a method of exerting greater control by the
trafficker.

There is also the increasing phenomenon of unaccompanied minors
intercepted upon arrival in EU States and who subsequently
disappear from reception centres. Are they victims of traffickers?
We do not know if they are or not, but this phenomenon is a
reflection of the complexities of global migration today, and the
particularly vulnerable position of children. It should lead us to
the conclusion that when there is doubt as to a migrant
child’s status, the State should provide at least the same
level of protection as it would for one of its nationals. In short,
child protection systems should be better applied at the national
level in order to protect children more effectively from becoming
vulnerable to trafficking and unsafe migration.

Let us also not forget the children left at home by trafficked
women: they too are victims of traffickers. In some countries, over
one third of trafficked women are single mothers whose desperation
to provide for their child has led them into the clutches of
traffickers.

Whether we are speaking of a child trafficked for begging on the
streets of Europe, a young girl in Asia coerced into prostitution,
or a boy in Africa abducted and forced to take up arms, the extreme
forms of trauma experienced by these children are the same:
separation from loved ones and support systems; psychological
humiliation; witnessing and suffering physical violence and sexual
abuse. The list goes on. And all of us here today have a
responsibility to spare no effort to try to put and end to this
suffering and prevent it from happening.

In this regard I applaud the participants from the law
enforcement field who took part in the Austrian Federal Ministry of
Interior and IOM’s training in combating child trafficking
here in Vienna this week. It is my sincere hope that they will
apply the skills they have acquired in making inroads against this
most serious of crimes that attacks the most vulnerable members of
our society. I urge all practitioners to make use of the Resource
Book that has been developed through this AGIS project.

From the side of IOM I can assure all of you here today that we
shall continue, with our partners, to contribute to the fight
against human trafficking that we have now been involved in for ten
years. Over the coming months, as part of our contribution to the
High Level Dialogue on Migration, we shall be emphasising the need
to consider human trafficking as a core migration issue. Later this
year, at the request of the Government of Belarus, we expect to
work with them in organising a major conference in Minsk that will
address, among other issues, that of the demand that leads to
trafficking and exploitation. While IOM is committed to addressing
human trafficking through global policy fora, IOM Missions in more
than 70 countries are working with governments, law enforcement
bodies and NGOs at the operational level.

I would like to express my deep appreciation to the European
Commission and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior who
provided the funding for this important project that I have no
doubt will significantly contribute to the protection of our
children. And here I would like to acknowledge the Austrian EU
Presidency’s particular focus on child trafficking. I am also
most grateful to the other project partners including the Swedish
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Belgian Federal Police, Europol and
OSCE. And of course I thank our colleagues from IOM’s Mission
in Austria who contributed so much to the project’s
success.

In order to make real progress in the fight against human
trafficking, Governments, International Organisations and NGOs need
to work closely together to address this phenomenon of exploitation
and violation of rights that encompasses such a vast array of
issues as organised crime, migration, health and development. Where
there is true cooperation between partners, positive results ensue.
The AGIS Programme on Law Enforcement Training on Child Trafficking
is one such example.

Let us all continue to combine our efforts to more effectively
prosecute and convict child traffickers, and provide better
protection to children from all nations.

Thank you.

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target="_blank" title="">Draft Agenda

"http://www.osce.org/conferences/cthb_2006.html?page=18348" target=
"_blank" title="">Speech in OSCE Website

"http://www.osce.org/item/18402.html" target="_blank" title=
"">Press Release from OSCE

"http://www.bmi.gv.at/eu2006/" target="_blank" title="">Press
Release from the Austrian MoI

"http://austria.iom.int/en/artikel.php?menu_id=41&artikel_id=457&history_back=true"
target="_blank" title="">Information on the Project and
Conference