Today the world observes International Day against Trafficking in Persons (TIP), and with a focus on those directly affected, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging holistic victim-centered support.
Significantly, Guyana’s IOM Chief of Mission Robert Natiello has stressed the importance of financial independence for victims, which he said is crucial in ensuring they do not fall prey to traffickers in the future.
Describing the exploitation as often being “very, very brutal,” Natiello, who is also IOM’s Regional Coordination Officer for the Caribbean, said that human trafficking has a migration component which has to be tackled through a comprehensive approach.