Human trafficking is one of the most difficult and difficult forms of crime to detect.
In most cases, these cases are difficult to detect as the victims are among undocumented irregular migrants or forced laborers in remote and secluded areas. Similarly, illegal commercial sex work is a form of human trafficking that makes it very difficult to identify victims, due to the inherent secrecy and the perception of “immorality” in the public and law enforcement agencies in the name of this illegal activity. In many cases, victims avoid talking because they fear or depend on traffickers, they or their families are threatened, they do not feel psychologically ready, they are not aware of what they are going through, they do not feel safe, they are afraid of being sent back, they do not have documents, they are afraid of being tried or the law enforcement officers.
Detection studies against such situations are carried out in different dimensions. Examples of these are field studies, hotlines and actions taken by law enforcement.
Field studies are a type of detection, in which different approaches can be made to victims of human trafficking. For example, during a sexual health project to be carried out with sex workers, activities can be carried out to identify victims of human trafficking. Another example, during a project that includes activities for street children, can be carried out to find child victims. In this sense, it is important to include non-governmental organizations that carry out different activities in the detection mechanisms.
Helplines are another important method used for detection work. These lines, which are easily accessible in different languages and have the ability to direct the victim directly to protection services, are working with these hotlines and are used extensively in many geographies today. For example, the phone number 157, which started its operations as an emergency communication line to assist victims of human trafficking in Turkey in May 2005, was taken over by the General Directorate of Migration Management and its service network expanded, as of 20 August 2015, under the name Foreigners Communication Center (YIMER 157). started to serve in different languages.
Although the detection works of the law enforcement forces are carried out by their own mechanisms and operations, many geographies do not have the desired effectiveness. Reasons for this include the threat of traffickers, past bad experiences with law enforcement in the country of origin, victims’ silence or indifference during interrogations due to post-traumatic stress disorder, law enforcement’s lack of sufficient financial or extremely important workforce resources such as experienced translators. Law enforcement may have inadequate training or the wrong approach to the issue. The belief that the victim must bear all the marks on paper, called the “ideal victim” in law enforcement psychology, may be present in investigators. Against all these negative possibilities, it is necessary to ensure the continuity of improvement studies and training/equipment activities for the identification of victims.
In order to improve the detection work, it is necessary to announce the good services performed by both state bodies and law enforcement officers and make improvements in these services. These improvements include: Developing guidelines and procedures for relevant State officials and authorities such as police, border guards, immigration officials and others involved in the detection, detention, reception and processing of irregular migrants to allow rapid and accurate identification of trafficked persons. Providing appropriate training to relevant State authorities and officials in identifying victims of trafficking and in the correct application of the guidelines and procedures referred to above, Ensuring cooperation between relevant authorities, authorities and non-governmental organizations to facilitate the identification and provision of assistance to victims of trafficking, and the organization of such cooperation and its implementation and formalization to maximize its effectiveness will ensure that migrants and potential migrants are warned of the potential dangers and consequences of trafficking and seek help when necessary. Identification of appropriate points of intervention to ensure that trafficked persons are not prosecuted for activities they are involved in as a direct result of violations of immigration laws or victimization, that trafficked persons are under no circumstances detained in camps or removal centres. Receiving and evaluating asylum requests from both victims of trafficking and illegal asylum seekers, ensuring that they are not held in other forms of detention.