Jordan - A new initiative to prevent human trafficking and raise awareness on the practice was launched on Monday in Jordan, in the province of Mafraq, home to around 400,000 Syrian refugees.

The “Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Raising” project, carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Public Security Department’s (PSD) unit for combating human trafficking, targets school and university students, civil society and refugees.

“The project comes at a time when the dangers of human trafficking have started to emerge in the region as a result of the influx of huge numbers of Syrian families,” HRH Princess Basma said at a ceremony held at Al al Bayt University, in Mafraq city, to launch the initiative.

Highlighting harsh consequences of displacement on refugees, the princess noted that many individuals fall prey to human trafficking and stressed the importance of protecting people from such practices.

Several activities will be implemented under the initiative with the support of the Canadian International Development Agency and the US Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

These include workshops for 200 students, capacity building training for 200 officials and members of civil society organizations to formulate a taskforce to identify human trafficking operations, helping victims in Mafraq and assisting 200 Syrian and Jordanian women.

“Cleaning campaigns will also be held under anti-human trafficking themes to bring hundreds of local communities and Syrian refugees together in order to promote cohesion,” said IOM Jordan Chief of Mission Davide Terzi.

Brigadier General Jamal Bdour, director of the PSD Criminal Investigation Department, highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to combat the phenomenon, citing the special unit established at the PSD to provide protection for victims and take the necessary measures to track human trafficking practices.

Jordan enacted an anti-trafficking law in March 2009. The Kingdom has also ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and its supplemental Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

For more information, please contact 

Amira Mohamed
Counter Trafficking Officer
IOM Jordan
Email: ammohamed@iom.int
Tel: +962797779022