In the wake of the World Day Against Human Trafficking we disseminated information about this crime, particularly among a more vulnerable population of rural immigrants, migrants, children and teenagers.
The Citizen Council for Safety and Justice in Mexico City, which operates the National Line Against Human Trafficking 800 55 33 000, began a series of webinars to strengthen liaisons with national and international organizations that fight against the crime of human trafficking.
The aforementioned was part of the activities that were programmed to commemorate the World Day Against Human Trafficking celebrated on July 30th.
Salvador Guerrero Chipres, President of the Citizen Council, pointed out that articulation, dissemination and coordination among organizations and the governments of Mexico, the USA and other nations is fundamental in the fight against this global crime.
He stated that 85 percent of victims of trafficking that have been located in the United States come from Mexico, either because they were born in one of the Mexican states or because they entered the country after being recruited from other places such as Asia or Central America.
“This is a fundamental conversation because it allows us to combine several points of view that have enabled us to identify data and the changing essence of the dynamics of trafficking, as well as determine the obstacles that we have to remove so that its solution is more dynamic and impunity in this matter diminishes,” he pointed out.
Kaylla Lanier, Director of the Truckers Against Trafficking organization; Margaret Rodriguez McQueen and Francisco Rosales of the US Transportation Department; Gonzalo Martinez and Sarah Southey of the MC Cain Institute; and Alfredo Limas of the Sin Fronteras Board participated in this first webinar entitled “Migration, Transport and Trafficking”.
Kaylla Lanier spoke about the importance of training load transportation operators in the identification of possible victims given that they drive along the roads that connect Mexico, the United States and Canada.
“We believe that information must be found everywhere, that we should talk to the families. That’s why we offer them training, so that they learn that victims and criminals may be found everywhere, on the network, in the streets,” she stated.
Francisco Rosales explained that thanks to the promotion of the organization Truckers Against Trafficking, they train operators and road inspectors in crime prevention and they work to duplicate this dynamic with authorities of the National Guard and the Transportation and Communications Ministry (SCT) in Mexico, so the support offered by the Citizen Council will be very relevant.
“Our goal is to flood people with information. The more we do so, the more effective will be the fight for this cause. That’s why we want to train the National Guard and workers of the SCT,” he said.
Alfredo Limas acknowledged that there are factors such as poverty, age and gender that increase the vulnerability of possible victims of trafficking, so it’s necessary to strengthen intervention in a transversal and structured manner.
“In the advancement towards equity in the fight against this crime, human rights must be respected and we must offer all the communities preventive information,” he established.
Sarah Southey mentioned that COVID-19 changed the dynamics of attention given to this crime so migrants and peasants that got stuck in the border and are deprived from social security or access to basic services are in need of help.
Finally, Guerrero Chipres declared that the Citizen Council promotes actions that help vulnerable people receive prevention information. These people include women under 25 years of age from rural communities and men between 21 and 25 years of age that are hooked by “great job offers”.
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