20 April 2012

IOM Ukraine?s Counter-Trafficking Unit conducted training for the staff of the Kyiv State Employment Centres. The training participants learned about general rules of safe employment, principles of National Counter-Trafficking Referral Mechanism and IOM Ukraine?s rehabilitation programme for victims of trafficking.

 According to an IOM-commissioned research, almost 120,000 Ukrainians became victims of trafficking since 1991. IOM places special emphasis on preventing different forms of exploitation in cooperation with government agencies from the social and education systems, law enforcement, international organizations as well as a network of civil society organizations throughout Ukraine. ?State Employment Centres are one of the entry points for vulnerable population,? says IOM Ukraine?s Senior Programme Officer Hanna Antonova. ?Employment counselors and professional orientation specialists work directly with the unemployed and learn a lot about their personal circumstances in the process, thus it is very important that they are aware of human trafficking and of how to identify and refer victims for assistance?.

IOM also values partnership with the Kyiv State Employment Centres? in counter-trafficking outreach campaigns through dissemination of info-leaflets, seminars for the unemployed and other activities.