Iraqi intensifies efforts to combat human trafficking

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government has stepped up its efforts to protect victims of human trafficking, with a recent report highlighting the identification of 158 victims by human trafficking committees from both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Fadel al-Gharrawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, disclosed in a report on Saturday that these victims were categorized as follows: 38 victims of sexual trafficking, 17 victims of forced labor (including two children), and 26 victims of unspecified exploitation (comprising two adult males, seven adult females, and 17 children). Additionally, 77 victims were identified in the Kurdistan Region.

Of the 158 victims, the federal government referred 27 to a shelter managed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Baghdad, while 35 foreign trafficking victims were sent to a non-governmental organization for shelter. The remaining victims were either sent to healthcare facilities or opted to stay with their families. The KRG's trafficking committees identified 77 victims, including 34 involved in labor trafficking (32 females and two males) and 43 foreign nationals exploited in unspecified ways. Out of these, 72 were referred to protective services.

The report also highlighted a significant increase in trafficking-related arrests, with 636 individuals detained in 2023 compared to 129 in 2022. In 2023, 184 individuals were convicted under the 2012 Anti-Trafficking Law, including 163 for sexual trafficking and 21 for labor trafficking. In contrast, 12 sex traffickers were convicted in the KRG courts.

The report called for legislative and administrative reforms, urging the government and parliament to amend the Anti-Trafficking Law to enhance penalties for traffickers. It also recommended the establishment of protection centers for trafficking victims across all Iraqi governorates, the improvement of reporting and referral systems, and enhanced early identification mechanisms.

Additionally, the report advocated for amendments to witness protection laws to better safeguard those reporting trafficking crimes, the launch of public awareness campaigns to prevent trafficking, and increased collaboration between security forces, Regional intelligence agencies, and international partners to combat human trafficking effectively.