SOURCE: Channel NewsAsia
By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 01 April 2012 2154 hrs
 The authorities recently launched a National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons to combat the issue in a more strategic way | ||||||
SINGAPORE: Research is an imperative step in understanding the extent of human trafficking in Singapore, said migrant welfare groups and non-governmental organisations.
They said studies on the nature and scale of the problem need to be done first.
The authorities recently launched a National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons to combat the issue in a more strategic way.
Forty-three reports of sex trafficking were received by the Police, while 67 cases of labour trafficking were detected by the Manpower Ministry last year.
However, these statistics alone may not be enough to fully understand the human trafficking situation.
Observers said more research is needed.
Siddharth Kara, who is a fellow at Carr Centre Programme on Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery, said: "What's going on with human trafficking, who's being trafficked, in what numbers, for what purpose, by whom, etc. This broad base baseline research will be a very good foundational piece to have."
Mr Kara added that sector-based research is also useful.
"Look at the construction sector, the domestic work sector, the maritime sector and understand who's being trafficked into these sectors, by whom, for what purpose, under what modes and means so that you can design your response and your interventions specifically based on knowledge generated by research."
The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) set up its Trafficking Resource Centre at the end of last year.
HOME believes it should be actively involved in the research work as it has day-to-day contact with the migrant community.
Libby Clarke, who is a consultant on Anti Human Trafficking at HOME, said: "This is one which is building upon the services which HOME has long provided to victims of both sex and labour exploitation. And to ensure that we are tailoring those services very specifically to the needs of victims of trafficking, we are also equipping ourselves with the information we need in order to accurately identify those individuals."
For the first time, 16 NGOs met on March 28 to discuss the issue of Trafficking in Persons. One of the objectives of the meeting was to set out a map of who's doing what in the area of research.
In addition, the NGOs explored ways in which they could collaborate better and ensure synergies are being maximised.
As part of the National Plan of Action, the Inter-Agency taskforce on Trafficking in Persons is also conducting research, with relevant third parties.
HOME started a 24-hour hotline in November last year to provide assistance to victims of trafficking in persons. They've been receiving between 10 and 20 calls each day. 10 per cent of the calls relate to the issue of sex exploitation.
Further investigations will then be carried out after each hotline call is received. This is done to find out exactly the whole ordeal of what the caller has gone through.
Ms Clarke said this process is important in order to establish the nature of the exploitation and whether they are a victim of trafficking.
The Inter-Agency taskforce is also studying the feasibility of setting up a toll-free hotline so that authorities are alerted to possible trafficking cases.
Ms Clarke said: "We are in discussions with the taskforce as to who is best placed to provide this service moving forward. The feedback that we receive from the users of our hotline shows they far prefer to make a call to an NGO than to a government official.
"They need a line which they can access which doesn't take them to an official who they perhaps fear because they are concerned about what would happen to them as a result."
The taskforce expects to complete the joint research by 2015.
- CNA/fa
They said studies on the nature and scale of the problem need to be done first.
The authorities recently launched a National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons to combat the issue in a more strategic way.
Forty-three reports of sex trafficking were received by the Police, while 67 cases of labour trafficking were detected by the Manpower Ministry last year.
However, these statistics alone may not be enough to fully understand the human trafficking situation.
Observers said more research is needed.
Siddharth Kara, who is a fellow at Carr Centre Programme on Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery, said: "What's going on with human trafficking, who's being trafficked, in what numbers, for what purpose, by whom, etc. This broad base baseline research will be a very good foundational piece to have."
Mr Kara added that sector-based research is also useful.
"Look at the construction sector, the domestic work sector, the maritime sector and understand who's being trafficked into these sectors, by whom, for what purpose, under what modes and means so that you can design your response and your interventions specifically based on knowledge generated by research."
The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) set up its Trafficking Resource Centre at the end of last year.
HOME believes it should be actively involved in the research work as it has day-to-day contact with the migrant community.
Libby Clarke, who is a consultant on Anti Human Trafficking at HOME, said: "This is one which is building upon the services which HOME has long provided to victims of both sex and labour exploitation. And to ensure that we are tailoring those services very specifically to the needs of victims of trafficking, we are also equipping ourselves with the information we need in order to accurately identify those individuals."
For the first time, 16 NGOs met on March 28 to discuss the issue of Trafficking in Persons. One of the objectives of the meeting was to set out a map of who's doing what in the area of research.
In addition, the NGOs explored ways in which they could collaborate better and ensure synergies are being maximised.
As part of the National Plan of Action, the Inter-Agency taskforce on Trafficking in Persons is also conducting research, with relevant third parties.
HOME started a 24-hour hotline in November last year to provide assistance to victims of trafficking in persons. They've been receiving between 10 and 20 calls each day. 10 per cent of the calls relate to the issue of sex exploitation.
Further investigations will then be carried out after each hotline call is received. This is done to find out exactly the whole ordeal of what the caller has gone through.
Ms Clarke said this process is important in order to establish the nature of the exploitation and whether they are a victim of trafficking.
The Inter-Agency taskforce is also studying the feasibility of setting up a toll-free hotline so that authorities are alerted to possible trafficking cases.
Ms Clarke said: "We are in discussions with the taskforce as to who is best placed to provide this service moving forward. The feedback that we receive from the users of our hotline shows they far prefer to make a call to an NGO than to a government official.
"They need a line which they can access which doesn't take them to an official who they perhaps fear because they are concerned about what would happen to them as a result."
The taskforce expects to complete the joint research by 2015.
- CNA/fa
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