A state-of-the-art, multi-purpose room at the US Embassy in Ta’ Qali was the venue of a training programme intended to highlight strategies and methods to combat human trafficking.
On November 30, two officials of the US-based Polaris Project – For a World without Slaves – joined a number of Maltese officials through a digital video conference to discuss ‘The role of the hotline in identifying victims of trafficking’.
The vision of the Polaris Project is a world without slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves towards freedom along the underground railroad in the US, Polaris Project has been providing a comprehensive and community-based approach to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002. It is headquartered in Washington, DC but has a number of offices in New Jersey and an affiliate office in Tokyo, Japan.
Audrey Roofeh and Sarah Grenzeback, who have been working with Polaris Project for sometime, spoke about the principal aspects of humantrafficking.
They shared best practices in establishing a ‘hotline’ which provided a safe space for victims to reach out for help and which was instrumental in increasing victim identification and empowerment.
The Maltese participants in the training session were able to simulate hotline situations and learn the right approach to identify victims of force, fraud and coercion, identify a victim’s exposure to danger and provide a timely plan to ensure the victims’ safety.
Ms Roofeh and Ms Grenzeback emphasised the importance of providing a trauma-sensitive response to the victims’ situation and following up with empowerment programmes that will enable the victims to regain control of their life. They also stressed the importance of a holistic approach to human trafficking and close cooperation among the key players – law enforcement, judiciary and social services.
In brief remarks to introduce the programme, Thomas Yeager, political officer at the US Embassy, spoke about the importance of addressingthe “human” aspect of trafficking and assisting the victims.
He reiterated the US government’s commitment to working with the international community to end this criminal activity. Mr Yeager applauded the Maltese government’s strong and positive stand in approving and publishing an action plan on combating trafficking in humans. He said the US government would continue to support Malta’s efforts in curbing the enslavement of human beings.