Roseau, Dominica – March 25, 2009……………… The International Organisation for Migration(IOM) in partnership with the Government of Dominica is hosting a two-day training seminar aimed at building capacity within institutions in Dominica to combat human trafficking for government officials and civil society organisations starting today, Wednesday March 25 at the Police Training School at Morne Bruce.
During the seminar, the first by IOM in Dominica, the thirty (30) participants will follow the IOM Counter-Trafficking Module on Capacity Building to acquire a basic understanding of human trafficking and explore the ways of identifying national strengths and weaknesses, using international standards and best practices and developing counter-trafficking task forces and national action plans.
Through its counter-trafficking work in the Caribbean, IOM has identified the areas of forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude as trends particular to the Caribbean. The victims (adults and children, from within and outside the region) are trafficked through legal methods, such as work permits and visas, and illegal methods, such as smuggling.
The migration context in Dominica poses specific challenges, including the possible presence of human trafficking. A small island nation with a population of 70,000, Dominica is faced with the challenge of managing porous borders. Like other Caribbean islands, Dominica can serve as a transit point for migrants moving within and out of the region. Dominica is sandwiched between the French territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe, gateways to France and thus Europe. For 2009, there is an estimated negative net migration rate of 5.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population.
The training is organised in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister and offered through IOM’s Caribbean Counter-Trafficking Initiative (CCTI). The United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) has financially supported the CCTI since its inception in 2004.
Participants at the seminar include officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Labour, Ministry of Health and the Environment, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Carib Affairs, Comptroller of Customs, Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force, Dominica National Council of Women, National Joint Intelligence Unit, Dominica Red Cross Society Ltd, Dominica Air and Seaports Authority, Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches among other organisations.
Members of the Media are invited to the closing ceremony at the Police Training School at Morne Bruce on Thursday, March 26, 2009 from 4pm.
