Globally an estimated number of 2.45 million people including 1.2 million children are trafficked every year. Behind each victim lie frightful suffering and experiences that must be appropriately addressed and prevented. The EU takes the fight against trafficking in human beings very seriously.

Under the Better Migration Management programme (BMM) the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), British Council, CIVIPOL, Expertise France, Italian Department of Public Security, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have come together with support by the EU under the Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) improve migration management in the region, and in particular to address the trafficking and smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa.

In July, BMM supported several activities to mark the World Day against Human Trafficking in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Through these activities, the programme created awareness on the risks of human trafficking and established a dialogue on the realities of human trafficking.

In Kenya, the World Day was commemorated on 30 July by a high-level panel organised by UNODC. Participants debated how to improve judicial cooperation on addressing trafficking of children in the region. On that occasion, EU Ambassador Stefano Dejak stated that “trafficking in persons is against the fundamental values the European Union stands for and a gross violation of human rights. It is the Slave Trade of our world today: a horrible crime that EU, Africa and the UN need to join hands to address“.

In parallel, BMM in partnership with Trace Kenya organised a public awareness raising event in Mombasa. Over 250 members of the community, local counter trafficking NGOs and the governor of Mombasa attended a public procession across the city.

Last but not least, IOM hosted a series of awareness raising events which included an event for women in Mombasa, a football match for youth in Kilifi county, a talent show in Lunga Lunga and in Kwale county as well as the official launch of the IOM Coastal Trafficking Report.

These events were accompanied by a social media campaign and preceded by the Regional Civil Society Organisations Forum to Promote Safe and Fair Migration. At the opening, EU official Hanina Ben Bernou pointed out that “civil society has a crucial role to play in promoting effective solutions in the protection of victims of trafficking". The forum resulted in the drafting and signing of a statement on 'Principles of Practice for Assisting Victims of Trafficking and Vulnerable Migrants in the East and the Horn of Africa' which was presented to the Regional Event on National Counter Trafficking Structures in Khartoum on 16-17 July 2018.