Hundreds of government officials, journalists, and civil society
representatives are receiving awareness training and information on
human trafficking in Peru.

As part of the new IOM information campaign, being launched in
high-risk areas, IOM is encouraging these groups to join the fight
against human trafficking.

The campaign is being carried out in the cities of Lima, Cuzco,
and Iquitos where many cases of internal and international human
trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, including domestic
servitude, have been reported.

Since 2006, the telephone hotline, managed by IOM and the
Ministry of the Interior, has received more than 11,000 calls; 96
cases of human trafficking have been referred to the police for
further investigation.  The information and trends compiled by
the hotline operators was used to develop the new campaign's
messages.

The new campaign includes radio and TV spots to carry the
message to the most remote areas.

As part of its counter-trafficking activities, IOM Lima recently
carried out a series of on-site trainings at four international
borders used by thousands of persons on a daily basis, including
irregular migrants, many of whom could be potential victims of
trafficking; sponsored a photo exhibit on child labour, which
attracted more than 12,000 visitors; and the play La prisión
de los Angeles (The Prison of Angels) which was viewed by more than
3,000 persons. 

At the request of the Peruvian government, IOM produced the
technical draft of the National Plan of Action on Human
Trafficking, which was approved in July 2007.

Peru is a country of origin, transit and destination for human
trafficking with a predominance of internal trafficking of women
for sexual exploitation.  Children and men are trafficked to
work in the mining and timber industries, and agriculture. 
There are also high rates of human trafficking for domestic
labour.  At the international level, there have been cases of
Peruvian women taken to Argentina, Japan, Spain and other countries
for sexual exploitation.

For more information, please contact:

Juan Pablo Casapia

IOM Lima

Tel: +51.1.221.7209

E-mail: "mailto:jcasapia@iom.int">jcasapia@iom.int