After 17 months of overwhelming success, the Peruvian government
has announced that the IOM counter-trafficking hotline
(0800-2-3232) will become a permanent tool in their fight against
human trafficking.

The Ministry of the Interior decided to integrate the costs of
operating the hotline in its budget, so that the service can
continue to provide information and support to victims, potential
victims and the general public and refer callers' reports to the
police in order to prosecute traffickers.

Since IOM launched the service in March 2006, the hotline has
received more than 8,500 calls and has referred 70 cases to the
police for criminal investigation and prosecution.

A mother whose young daughter was trafficked for sexual
exploitation to the town of Huaral, a young man trafficked to Lima
for labour exploitation, and a woman in Piura who heard a
neighbour's cry for help, all credit the IOM hotline with securing
the freedom for victims of human trafficking.

The victim of trafficking for labour exploitation said he saw
the IOM hotline number and used it to gain his freedom, "Thanks to
the hotline, the lady that had locked me up in her house let me go,
and I even received the wages that she owed me."  He
threatened to call the hotline if his "employer" did not allow him
to leave.

In the town of Piura, the neighbour who heard the cries for help
marvelled: "Only 20 minutes after calling the hotline, the police
arrived and the girls who were being forced to provide sexual
services were rescued."

Guisselle Canales, Director of the Human Rights Department of
the Ministry of Interior, said: "We have seen the value of the
hotline and believe it is important to keep it operating
permanently."

Although two operators will continue to man the hotline, the
challenge is to continue providing the most up to date and
objective information to the callers and to develop media
strategies to promote the service. 

"IOM will continue to provide support to the hotline by
coordinating the necessary mechanisms, such as improved specialized
software and by implementing a new media campaign," confirms the
IOM Regional Representative, Pilar Norza.

As part of its work with Peru to combat human trafficking, IOM
presented a National Plan of Action Against Trafficking 2007-2013
to the government in July and continues its capacity building
activities for law enforcement, civil society, journalists and
students.  In May, a revised module for capacity building was
published by the IOM mission in Peru.

Peru is considered a country of origin, transit and destination
for human trafficking, with the vast majority of victims trafficked
for sexual and labour exploitation in the mining, lumber and
agricultural sectors, as well as for domestic service. 
Peruvian women are trafficked to countries in South America
(Argentina, Bolivia), Western Europe (Spain and Italy), Japan and
the United States for sexual exploitation.

For further information, please contact:

Dolores Cortés

IOM Lima

Tel: + 51.1.221 7209

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