Hue –  The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Department of Drug Control and Crime Prevention (DDCCP) of Viet Nam Border Guard jointly held a workshop today to launch the “Training Curriculum on Counter-Trafficking and Victim Protection” and wrap up the  “Frontline training for Border Guards in Border Areas of Viet Nam” project, funded by  the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States Department of State. The project aims to enhance the capacity of border guards, especially frontline border guards, on case investigations, identification and protection measures for victims and witnesses that lead to prosecution of perpetrators, ensuring that border guard officers are trained to conduct their tasks in a victim-centred and trauma-informed manner, in close collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. 

The Viet Nam Border Guard plays an important role in the fight against Trafficking in persons (TIP) and the provision of protection and support for trafficking victims. Overseeing 4,639km of land borders and 3,444km of coastlines, the Border Guard is at the forefront of cross-border crime prevention and control. They are very often the first – and sometimes only – law enforcement officer with whom a trafficking victim may ever come into contact. After three years of implementation, the project has achieved a number of significant outcomes that profoundly enhanced the technical capacity of Viet Nam Border Guards, especially frontline officers in hotspot border areas, to better detect, investigate and handle TIP cases, as well as identify, protect and assist trafficking victims.

Within the framework of this project, the training curriculum on counter-trafficking and victim protection for frontline officers was developed by the Viet Nam Border Guard High Command and approved by the Ministry of Defense. The Training Curriculum was used to conduct 12 training workshops for 436 frontline Border Guard officers in 12 target provinces in the North and South regions of Viet Nam. The project also creates a forum for the officers to exchange effective methods, professional skills and practical experiences that have been successfully applied in retracing, investigating and prosecuting TIP cases. 

“I am a strong supporter of this project from the very beginning and IOM is very proud to cooperate with the Department of Drug Control and Crime Prevention of Viet Nam Border Guard to contribute to enhancing capacities of Viet Nam Border Guard officers, who are at the frontline to receive, protect and identify returning trafficking victims. Facilitating safe and orderly cross-border human mobility for migrants, while maintaining border security, supporting border guards’ engagement is one of the critical components in IOM’ mandate,” Ms Park Mihyung, IOM’s Chief of Mission stated.  

“Trafficking in persons is a complex global problem that requires a coordinated response. This project is a significant part of IOM’s work to support the Government of Viet Nam to not just strengthen its border management, but also contribute to the comprehensive effort under the nation’s Human Trafficking Prevention and Control Programme 2021-2025 and the National Implementation Plan for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), of which Viet Nam is an active member," Ms Park Mihyung added. 

IOM also coordinated with DDCCP to conduct end-of-training assessments at 6 hotspot provinces including An Giang, Kien Giang, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Cao Bang and Lang Son. The assessment results not only provided valuable information on the ongoing trends and modus operandi of TIP criminals and irregular migration activities in border areas but also revealed the challenges that border guards and victim support agencies must face in implementing processes and procedures for the investigation of TIP cases as well as trafficking victim protection and support. The frontline officers who participated in the assessment also contributed useful intervention ideas and recommendations to address ongoing obstacles for consideration by IOM and the DDCCP in future cooperation. 

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For further information, please contact: 

Ms Nguyen Ngoc Tram, National Communications Officer - ngocnguyen@iom.int/ Mob: 0912893964