Chisinau — In the first three months of 2018, Moldovan authorities registered 44 cases of trafficking in persons, which involved 108 victims including 22 children.

To tackle this and to highlight the government’s message of zero tolerance for human trafficking, IOM, the UN Migration Agency, the Moldovan Ministry of Interior Affairs, and the United States Embassy in Moldova organized an awareness-raising 5 km run on Sunday (10/06).

The run brought the capital Chisinau to a standstill to draw people’s attention to the risks and the ways in which Moldovan citizens are tricked and exploited in their own country and abroad. In 2017 alone, 87 per cent of identified and assisted victims were exploited within the country, in jobs such as farming and manual labour.

“Together with my colleagues, we want to say today that IOM Moldova will continue to work with and support the Moldovan Government in fighting human trafficking,” said Antonio Polosa, IOM Moldova Chief of Mission, as he crossed the finishing line. “I want to emphasize that it is important to do everything that is needed for the successful reintegration of victims.”

The Ministry of Interior Affairs showcased its technical equipment being used to better identify traffickers at the Moldovan border. IOM and Moldovan NGOs that work in the field of counter trafficking presented information on the free services they provide to victims and potential victims of trafficking in persons.

For more pictures, please click here.

For more information, please contact Iulia Tvigun, Tel: +373 69 123 905, Email: itvigun@iom.int.