The government is ready to address human trafficking, and cannot ignore our exposure to this international phenomenon, Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia Portelli said.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms was addressing an awareness raising seminar on the World Day Against Trafficking in Person along with a number of other ministers and speakers including the British High Commissioner to Malta.

A nationwide campaign aimed at educating people and raising awareness on different forms of human trafficking and exploitation was launched recently by Farrugia Portelli, named ‘Human, like you’, and 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.

In her speech, she noted how there was a shift ongoing in the way the authorities are approaching the topic of human trafficking – a change from the wariness of discussing the subject as to not give the impression that Malta has a serious problem with this particular crime.

She noted that social welfare services and the Police cannot do this alone, and one of the objectives of the national strategy to be drafted on human trafficking was the implementation of intelligence hubs, and making sure that various connected entities have equal access to the much-needed information for such cases.

The Parliamentary Secretary had explained during the launching of the campaign that it is the first phase in a process leading to the strengthening of anti-human trafficking laws, which is “a form of human rights that the government intends to tackle”.

Also speaking at the seminar, Minister for Foreign Affairs Carmelo Abela explained that the international community has been taking action, pointing out the signing of the Global Compact for Migration which Malta signed into.

He maintained that the Ministry will “continue to raise and advocate matters with the European Union, United Nations, and other international fora”, whilst also working on strengthening Malta’s participation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

His thoughts were echoed by Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Michael Farrugia, who explained that internationally weapons smugglers have realized that there is more money in people than in guns and have extended their business.

Farrugia also made a distinction between smuggling and trafficking, noting that smuggling usually comes in the form of consensual smuggling over borders, whilst trafficking has an element of deception, abuse of power and coercion.

He did however caution that Malta “is still in need of foreigners to take up job opportunities”, and “ways must be found to encourage legal migration, even from Africa”.

Minister Michael Falzon also gave a short speech where he said that the approach needs to be interdisciplinary, multi-agency, multi-ministerial, and multi-country.

“It is a service which we must continue to give for a phenomenon that we need to face.”