A nationwide campaign aimed at educating people and raising awareness on different forms of human trafficking and exploitation was launched on Saturday by Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia Portelli.

The campaign, 'Human, like you', is mainly based around a new website with real-life accounts from victims of human trafficking. It also informs readers about the signs of human trafficking and provides a platform for reporting such crimes.

The theme of the campaign was chosen to remind people that victims of human trafficking are treated like products, are exploited and have their dignity taken away.

Farrugia Portelli said the campaign is the first phase in a process leading to the strengthening of anti-human trafficking laws. This is a form of breach of human rights that the government intends to tackle, she said.

Apart from the website, the campaign will also include a number of initiatives aimed at the public in general, children, students, civil society, the private sector and employee representatives.

The campaign will feature TV, radio and internet adverts, public information sessions for both adults and children, events and an art exhibition. 

It also aims to reach people that can be more vulnerable to trafficking, such as foreign workers.  In fact, the information provided in the website is available in six different languages, with the number set to increase in the future.

The Parliamentary Secretary said the government was focusing greatly on prevention, adding that the reform in the sector would provide the country with more resources to combat the phenomenon.

A recent US Department of State report said the Maltese police had, in 2018, documented the first case of an underage local girl trafficked into prostitution. 

Farrugia Portelli said the government was looking into the report but added that it had included some inaccuracies, which the government has pointed out.