Government officials and representatives from Moroccan and
international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will next week
receive essential training aimed at strengthening the
counter-trafficking and human smuggling response in the country.

Morocco is a source, transit and destination country for human
trafficking with men, women and girls trafficked from Sub-Saharan
Africa and Asia and Moroccans trafficked to southern European
countries for labour and sexual exploitation.

Moroccans are also victims of human smuggling networks operating
between North Africa and countries such as Italy and Spain.

Organized by IOM in partnership with Morocco's Centre for
Migrants Rights, the training will take place between 23-28 July in
Rabat.

A first session for 25 representatives from different Moroccan
ministries will focus on reinforcing their capacity to fight human
trafficking and smuggling. A second session for 25 representatives
from NGOs will deal with awareness raising and information
campaigns on both smuggling and trafficking.

Both groups will then have a follow-up training in the autumn to
consolidate what they will have learnt in July.

Funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration (PRM), the training is based on modules
created by IOM.

The main objective of the Centre for Migrants Rights,
established in 2002 with IOM's collaboration, is to build the
capacity of the Moroccan government, NGOs and research institutions
on the rights and duties of migrants through training and
information sharing.

For further information, please contact:

Stéphane Rostiaux

IOM Rabat

Tel : + 213 37 65 28 81

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

Laura Lungarotti

IOM Rabat

Tel : + 213 37 65 28 81

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