IOM’s counter trafficking strategy in Peru took a dramatic
turn this week with a performance in a Lima of a new play - The
Prison of Angels: Trafficking in Persons in Peru, A Reality.



More than 200 persons, including ministers, journalists and local
celebrities were at the edge of their seats as actors recounted the
painful memories of real life victims of trafficking who managed to
break free from their captors.  The story is based on a female
victim who was trafficked for forced domestic labour.  As the
story unfolds, the victim’s testimony reveals the horrific
tale of two other victims that she met while at a safe house.



The performance is part of IOM’s media strategy designed to
increase public awareness and garner support from opinion makers
and the general public in its fight against human trafficking in
Peru.



Peru is a country of origin, transit and destination of
international human trafficking, mainly to the United States,
Western Europe and Japan.  Although there are no concrete
figures on the number of victims, IOM research confirmed that most
of the trafficking takes place inside the country.



The IOM assistance hotline “0800-2-3232”, which
provides free, confidential, 24/7 service, was presented during the
event.  The hotline is located on the premises of the
Multi-Sectoral Working Group Against Human Trafficking and is
coordinated by IOM and the Ministry of Interior’s Department
of Human Rights.



Since the hotline became operational last March, it has received
more than 1,000 calls per month.  It is staffed by personnel
trained to provide information or to contact the authorities if a
caller wants to file a police report.



The IOM counter trafficking hotline owes much of its success to
the Llama y Vive information campaign; a joint effort by IOM, the
Inter American Development Bank and the Ricky Martin
Foundation.



At the request of the Ministry of Interior, IOM has drafted a
National Plan of Action Against Human Trafficking, currently under
review, but a top priority for the new Government that took power
last August.  The new Government is also keen to obtain final
approval for draft legislation for a new counter trafficking
law.



Estela Roeder, Director of the Multisectoral Working Group Against
Human Trafficking said, “Once the law is in effect, our next
immediate goal is for the National Plan to become
operational.”

For more information contact:

Dolores Cortés

IOM Lima

Tel: +51.1.2217209

E-mail: "mailto:dcortes@iom.int" target="" title="">dcortes@iom.int