A National Research Centre on Countering Human Trafficking Opens in Sri Lanka

The Immigration and Emigration Department (IED) of Sri Lanka opens a National Resource Centre to counter human trafficking with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The centre, which is housed at the IED, will offer comprehensive training to IED staff, promote research and enhance information sharing among stakeholders on human trafficking. To provide appropriate assistance and redress to victims of human trafficking, it will also enable the development of a referral system.
“Human trafficking is becoming a major issue in Sri Lanka and the government works closely with state, non state and international agencies to combat it. This resource centre will add to government’s efforts in trying to curb this global phenomenon”, says P.B Abeykoon, Controller of Immigration and Emigration.
IOM’s support to the centre includes comprehensive training on identifying and prevention of human trafficking for IED officers and the provision of all relevant equipment to start operations at the centre.
The centre complements a series of nationwide IOM training programmes on victim identification, protection and prosecution of human traffickers and a study tour organised by IOM for selected law enforcement officials exposing them to international best practices on combatting human trafficking.