Counter-Trafficking

Trafficking in Persons is a crime and human rights violation that affects men, women, and children all around the world in peace and during conflicts and disasters. Certain factors, such as irregular migration routes, can make migrants vulnerable.

At IOM, we advocate for prevention, prosecution, and protection as a part of a comprehensive approach to counter-trafficking.

Implementing a comprehensive approach

The counter-trafficking activities under COMPASS support IOM’s comprehensive approach with the overall aim of:

Contributing to improvements in the health, safety and well-being of people who have been trafficked.

Swings of Sanctuary for Children Freed from the Clutches of Traffickers in the Heart of Niger.

Learn more about how case workers and prosecutors are working together to combat trafficking in Zinder here.

Strengthening prevention and protection measures for people at risk of trafficking, including migrants.

In Nigeria, the COMPASS team and the government counter-trafficking agency organized awareness-raising activities including an inter-school competition, a para-soccer match, road walks and training for over 100 youth influencers.

Helping governments, the private sector and civil society enhance their prevention and protection responses to counter trafficking.

Mali’s National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons sets out a path forward covering prevention, prosecution, protection and partnerships.

Read more about IOM’s approach to counter-trafficking here.

Driving change with data

Effective counter-trafficking advocacy needs to be grounded in data. Understanding who the victims and perpetrators are and the types of exploitation that are most pervasive is essential to informed, targeted advocacy efforts.

Under IOM’s COMPASS programme, the Human Trafficking Data Tool was launched in 2024. This online interactive tool allows policymakers and practitioners to discover and compare regional data on trafficking victims and perpetrators, for more evidence-based counter-trafficking policies and advocacy efforts.

It draws on IOM case data from over 17,000 victims and survivors of trafficking identified across 123 countries and territories, and their accounts of over 37,000 perpetrators who facilitated the trafficking process from 2005 to 2022.

In addition, the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative website was relaunched in 2024 with a revamped design and new tools for insight-generation.

Getting creative with awareness-raising

Finding ways to engage diverse stakeholders - from aspirant migrants to host communities and policymakers - with information that is accessible and adapted to their needs is a crucial part of advocating for prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships to combat trafficking.

In Iraq, IOM developed a series of comic books to help explain Trafficking in Persons, including Breaking Free: Kamal’s Story and Samar’s Return Home to Safety.

What can you do?

Whether you find yourself in Nigeria or Egypt, in Turkïye or Mali, there are many ways you can contribute to counter-trafficking:

1.Find out what trafficking looks like in your country and region using the Human Trafficking Data Tool so you can develop targeted prevention and protection messaging.

2. Integrate information about human trafficking into your community outreach activities. Counter-trafficking efforts go hand in hand with the promotion of safe, regular migration.

Check out IOM X for activity ideas and media content.
Whenever possible, involve those who are most at risk in the design of materials and activities.
Remember to include a relevant, doable call to action, such as a hotline number to report suspected cases.

3. Establish partnerships with other organizations, influencers and government agencies to amplify your counter-trafficking efforts. ‘Partnership’ is one of the 4Ps of counter-trafficking, along with Prevention, Protection and Prosecution.


		Become part of the conversation Start learning right here, right now. We have collected some key resources to get you started on a counter-trafficking learning journey: The Migrant Protection Platform is a hub for knowledge sharing and dialogue on migrant protection, including counter-trafficking resources and best practices to inform your advocacy efforts.
			Brush up on your counter-trafficking fundamentals with the Counter-Trafficking Essentials e-learning. Browse through a special newsletter dedicated to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2024 with the latest key resources, products and initiatives on combatting Trafficking in Persons, with an emphasis on child trafficking.

Counter-Trafficking

Implementing a comprehensive approach

Driving change with data

Getting creative with awareness-raising

What can you do?

Become part of the conversation