ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, experts on modern slavery and human trafficking from the UK Border Force and the British High Commission have trained 31 frontline officers at Islamabad and Lahore airports on safeguarding and early identification of victims.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the British High Commission said the UK Border Force’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Teams visited Pakistan to deliver modern slavery and anti-human trafficking training in the two cities.

Eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking is one of the UK’s highest priorities. The statement said the British government and law enforcement agencies worked hand in hand with their Pakistani counterparts to safeguard vulnerable victims and prosecute perpetrators across borders.

“The training was well received by officers, with all understanding the importance of safeguarding potential victims. Through lessons learned from UK case studies, officers were left equipped to understand how to identify victims early, support vulnerable individuals and understand the impact trafficking has on victims. The training also covered forced and early marriages, honour-based abuse, and female genital mutilation.”

Amanda Read, Border Force National Operational lead for Safeguarding and Modern Slavery, heading up a network of over 500 specialist officers, said, “Through this training, we were able to share some of the best practice that the UK has developed in this area and learn about the challenges faced in Pakistan. Cooperation is essential. We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure better protection of the vulnerable and prevention of all types of exploitation.”

Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, said, “Modern slavery and human trafficking are unacceptable tragedies. Early identification of victims is essential, and international cooperation is of the utmost importance. This is a global problem and can only be tackled if we work together.”

July 30 marked ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’. Human trafficking involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving people through force, fraud, coercion or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Pakistan ranked 4th in Asia Pacific for modern slavery risks and 18th in the world.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is a border control, criminal investigation, counter-intelligence and security agency responsible for amongst other key priorities securing the border in Pakistan.

The British Border Force is a law enforcement command within the Home Office. They secure the UK border by carrying out immigration and customs controls for people and goods entering the UK, with officers at 140 sea and air ports across the UK and overseas.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2024