Counter Trafficking

Since 2004, IOM South Africa has undertaken a multi-pronged approach in assisting the government of South Africa combat the heinous crime of Human Trafficking also known as Trafficking in Persons. This has been done through capacity building, awareness raising, research, direct assistance to victims of trafficking (VoT) and support to the development of policy guidelines and legislation on trafficking in persons, also providing support in developing the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013 (PACOTIP).  

Project

As of 2017, IOM, under its project entitled “Capacity Enhancement for institutionalized victim-centered investigations and prosecutions of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Cases in South Africa” funded by the US Office for Justice, has contributed to the Government of South Africa (GoSA) and civil society efforts to uphold the rights of victims of trafficking and increase prosecution of TIP cases. 

The project contributes towards sensitizing and strengthening the knowledge base of relevant GoSA officials, to actively identify, assist and prosecute TIP cases. This has been achieved by the development of counter-trafficking (CT) curricula, which is being integrated into the existing education and training programs of relevant government departments. Through these curricula, South Africa will increase its capacity to train existing and future social workers, labor inspectors, immigration officials and medical practitioners, as well as members of the National and Provincial TIP task teams. 

Under the project, IOM has also assisted the GoSA to develop an integrated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for victim assistance that serves as detailed guidelines on the coordination of the responsibilities, functions and duties of each of the stakeholders. The SOP includes a step-by-step description of the processes from rescue, screening/identification, referral and provision of protection assistance including voluntary return and reintegration, to investigation and, prosecution of identified traffickers. 

Targeted departments for this project were the South Africa Police Services (SAPS), Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Department for Social Development (DSD), Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Department of Justice (DoJ) and Department of Health (DoH). Members of civil society organizations were also reached under the project.