Capacity Building Workshop on the Return, Repatriation, and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons
in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam
20 August – 1 September 2012 at the Kantary Hills, Chiang Mai
in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam
20 August – 1 September 2012 at the Kantary Hills, Chiang Mai
1. Background and Rationale
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is one of the most pressing global issues. It can be considered a modern form of slavery - as the exploitation and victimization of human beings and as an inexcusable violation of fundamental human rights. Unfortunately, the worst forms of exploitation occur everywhere, including in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries where high levels of mobility exist - with populations crossing borders, and with many forms of trafficking such as forced labor, sexual abuse, forced marriage and illegal adoption. The GMS development projects, such as the North-South and East-West corridors, have linked the region together and have intensified the flows of goods, investment as well as people. Importantly, the soon-to-be lunched AEC-Asian Economic Community in 2015, with economic liberalization and deregulations, will boost borderless investment followed by flexible labor movement in this region. As a result, countries in the GMS thus inevitably become focal points of origin, transit and destination for trafficked persons.
The GMS governments realize there is a need to strengthen regional partnerships at different levels in order to improve policies, regulations, measures and tools, and to increase the capacity of human resources involved in tackling the human trafficking problem. Multi-layered and bilateral MOUs and agreements have been signed in order to improve existing coordination and collaboration mechanisms among member countries; laws and regulations in those countries have been formulated to protect, prevent and suppress all types of crimes. In addition, several approaches have been developed to effectively prevent trafficking or protect those being trafficked, such as case management processes and multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). However, an enhancement of human resources working in this field is much needed to understanding prospective trends of human trafficking, mechanisms at the regional and national level involved, necessary technical knowledge for practitioners in this field.
As an institution that plays a key role in building the capacity of human resources, particularly those engaged in trafficking work, RCSD, with support from TICA and JICA, has organized the ‘Capacity Building Workshop on the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam’, following on from a previous workshop held between 3 – 4 November 2009 in Chiang Mai entitled: ‘Third Country Training on Capacity Building for the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam’, during which the participants identified the need for a series of ‘train the trainer’ workshops focusing on case management - targeting those engaged in social work and related fields who case manage TIPs and deal with trafficking related actors such as lawyers, public health workers, immigration officers and NGO workers, with the aim of equipping them with the knowledge and techniques required to effectively manage the return, repatriation and reintegration of TIPs. The purpose of these follow-on workshops is to strengthen the cooperation, partnership and information exchange framework so as to reduce the number of trafficked persons re-entering the illicit cycle, and to hopefully eradicate the trafficking of persons in the GMS.
2. Objectives of the Training
(1) To equip participants with the knowledge, techniques, insights and information needed to efficiently carry out case management activities
(2) To ensure the participants are capable of passing on the experience gained to other case workers in their home country, and
(3) To build and strengthen the network of social workers/practitioners, providing them with the expertise and commitment needed to combat trafficking in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
3. Course Content
3.1 Course Outline
During the two week workshop (twelve training days), the participants will gain an overview of the TIPs situation in the GMS, anti-TIP measures that can be used, and regulations and policies in the region, plus will learn the crucial concepts and skills needed for effective case management. The workshop has been designed to support an interactive learning atmosphere, which will include lectures, case studies, group activities and discussions, brainstorming sessions and a field trip. An outline of the workshop’s content is as follows:
I. Human trafficking concepts and trends in modern society, and the situation in GMS countries
II. Victim rescue and identification
III. Case management
(1) Concepts, processes and techniques
(2) In-shelter protection
(3) Trafficked persons empowerment: Concepts and practice
(4) Reintegration: Functions of the country of origin and destination
(5) Repatriation: Before and after
IV. Follow-up and evaluation
V. Project design
3.2 Field Trip
In order to give participants the chance to experience case management in practice, the workshop will include a three-day visit in Bangkok and nearby provinces to investigate the governmental agency in charge of case management, return, repatriation and reintegration process and to exchange with them. A field visit to Mahachai area in Samusakorn province, one of a largest hub of migrant workers in Thailand, will provide an overview on flow of labor in the region and the role of NGOs in working on migrant workers including TIP in various aspects.
3.3 Advance Assignment
Each country is required to prepare at least two presentations, to be presented at the workshop:
(1) Country Report - An Overview of the TIP situation - which will include the TIP situation in each country, related laws, policies, any MOUs regarding TIP, national plans and strategies, and the role of participants’ institutions in preventing/resolving TIP issues. Twenty minutes will be allocated for each presentation.
(2) Country Report on Case Management - detailing the case management process in each country and the implications of this process. Fifteen minutes will be allocated for this presentation and ten minutes each for discussions, questions and answers.
Participants are required to bring an original copy of their country report and a power point presentation to the workshop, for copying and distribution. In addition, participants are required to submit power point files and any other files necessary for the workshop, in advance.
3.4 Workshop Output
Each participant will be required to prepare a project with a particular focus on case management, reflecting the knowledge gained from the workshop and any linkages to their current work. This project will be presented at the end of the workshop.
4. Number of Participants and Participating Countries
The total number of participants will be 23 (foreign participants 20/Thais 3), with those from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand selected to participate. It is recommended that for each country except Thailand, four participants will attend from government agencies and one from an NGO. For Thailand, two will come from government agencies and one from an NGO. The governments of these countries are invited to nominate their applicant(s) to attend the workshop.
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is one of the most pressing global issues. It can be considered a modern form of slavery - as the exploitation and victimization of human beings and as an inexcusable violation of fundamental human rights. Unfortunately, the worst forms of exploitation occur everywhere, including in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries where high levels of mobility exist - with populations crossing borders, and with many forms of trafficking such as forced labor, sexual abuse, forced marriage and illegal adoption. The GMS development projects, such as the North-South and East-West corridors, have linked the region together and have intensified the flows of goods, investment as well as people. Importantly, the soon-to-be lunched AEC-Asian Economic Community in 2015, with economic liberalization and deregulations, will boost borderless investment followed by flexible labor movement in this region. As a result, countries in the GMS thus inevitably become focal points of origin, transit and destination for trafficked persons.
The GMS governments realize there is a need to strengthen regional partnerships at different levels in order to improve policies, regulations, measures and tools, and to increase the capacity of human resources involved in tackling the human trafficking problem. Multi-layered and bilateral MOUs and agreements have been signed in order to improve existing coordination and collaboration mechanisms among member countries; laws and regulations in those countries have been formulated to protect, prevent and suppress all types of crimes. In addition, several approaches have been developed to effectively prevent trafficking or protect those being trafficked, such as case management processes and multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). However, an enhancement of human resources working in this field is much needed to understanding prospective trends of human trafficking, mechanisms at the regional and national level involved, necessary technical knowledge for practitioners in this field.
As an institution that plays a key role in building the capacity of human resources, particularly those engaged in trafficking work, RCSD, with support from TICA and JICA, has organized the ‘Capacity Building Workshop on the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam’, following on from a previous workshop held between 3 – 4 November 2009 in Chiang Mai entitled: ‘Third Country Training on Capacity Building for the Return, Repatriation and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam’, during which the participants identified the need for a series of ‘train the trainer’ workshops focusing on case management - targeting those engaged in social work and related fields who case manage TIPs and deal with trafficking related actors such as lawyers, public health workers, immigration officers and NGO workers, with the aim of equipping them with the knowledge and techniques required to effectively manage the return, repatriation and reintegration of TIPs. The purpose of these follow-on workshops is to strengthen the cooperation, partnership and information exchange framework so as to reduce the number of trafficked persons re-entering the illicit cycle, and to hopefully eradicate the trafficking of persons in the GMS.
2. Objectives of the Training
(1) To equip participants with the knowledge, techniques, insights and information needed to efficiently carry out case management activities
(2) To ensure the participants are capable of passing on the experience gained to other case workers in their home country, and
(3) To build and strengthen the network of social workers/practitioners, providing them with the expertise and commitment needed to combat trafficking in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
3. Course Content
3.1 Course Outline
During the two week workshop (twelve training days), the participants will gain an overview of the TIPs situation in the GMS, anti-TIP measures that can be used, and regulations and policies in the region, plus will learn the crucial concepts and skills needed for effective case management. The workshop has been designed to support an interactive learning atmosphere, which will include lectures, case studies, group activities and discussions, brainstorming sessions and a field trip. An outline of the workshop’s content is as follows:
I. Human trafficking concepts and trends in modern society, and the situation in GMS countries
II. Victim rescue and identification
III. Case management
(1) Concepts, processes and techniques
(2) In-shelter protection
(3) Trafficked persons empowerment: Concepts and practice
(4) Reintegration: Functions of the country of origin and destination
(5) Repatriation: Before and after
IV. Follow-up and evaluation
V. Project design
3.2 Field Trip
In order to give participants the chance to experience case management in practice, the workshop will include a three-day visit in Bangkok and nearby provinces to investigate the governmental agency in charge of case management, return, repatriation and reintegration process and to exchange with them. A field visit to Mahachai area in Samusakorn province, one of a largest hub of migrant workers in Thailand, will provide an overview on flow of labor in the region and the role of NGOs in working on migrant workers including TIP in various aspects.
3.3 Advance Assignment
Each country is required to prepare at least two presentations, to be presented at the workshop:
(1) Country Report - An Overview of the TIP situation - which will include the TIP situation in each country, related laws, policies, any MOUs regarding TIP, national plans and strategies, and the role of participants’ institutions in preventing/resolving TIP issues. Twenty minutes will be allocated for each presentation.
(2) Country Report on Case Management - detailing the case management process in each country and the implications of this process. Fifteen minutes will be allocated for this presentation and ten minutes each for discussions, questions and answers.
Participants are required to bring an original copy of their country report and a power point presentation to the workshop, for copying and distribution. In addition, participants are required to submit power point files and any other files necessary for the workshop, in advance.
3.4 Workshop Output
Each participant will be required to prepare a project with a particular focus on case management, reflecting the knowledge gained from the workshop and any linkages to their current work. This project will be presented at the end of the workshop.
4. Number of Participants and Participating Countries
The total number of participants will be 23 (foreign participants 20/Thais 3), with those from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand selected to participate. It is recommended that for each country except Thailand, four participants will attend from government agencies and one from an NGO. For Thailand, two will come from government agencies and one from an NGO. The governments of these countries are invited to nominate their applicant(s) to attend the workshop.