Lebanon - As part of its “Protect and Assist Vulnerable and Exploited Migrant Workers in the Middle East and North Africa (PAVE)” project, IOM has organized an exchange visit of key government officials from Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon to Brussels, Belgium.

This visit was organized following a June 2014 regional dialogue meeting at the Dead Sea in Jordan, where key recommendations to enhance the protection frameworks for victims of trafficking and exploited migrants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were outlined.

The exchange visit aimed to share Belgium’s experience in combating human trafficking, including lessons learnt, best practices, the prosecution of offenders and the protection of victims. Participants examined the country’s anti-trafficking policies, infrastructure and referral mechanisms to assist victims of trafficking.

The visit was also designed to facilitate dialogue between participating countries and the European Union in combating the crime through coordinated action.

Participants included 11 government officials from various MENA ministries including Justice, Labor, Interior, Social Affairs, Human Rights Commissions and Counter Trafficking Units. Representatives from Naif University for Security Sciences and the Jordanian Women’s Union also attended.

The delegation met with the Belgian Ministry of Justice and Coordination Platform against Trafficking in Human Beings, a specialized magistrate, the Immigration Department, the Belgian police, and the Inter-Federal Centre for Equal Opportunities. They also visited the EU institutions and met officials from EMPACT and Frontex. 

PAVE, which is funded by the EU, includes six main activities: trainings, regional dialogues, study visits, victim assistance, awareness raising, and research and analysis implemented through engaging civil society actors, government officials, migrants and general public. The EU contributes 80 per cent of the total EUR 1.7 million budget.

For more information please

Fitriana Nur

IOM Lebanon

Email: fnur@iom.int

Tel: +961.76620648