Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi said the fight against human trafficking is “challenging and results from many social factors,” as the phenomenon has seen a significant spike in cases in recent years.
Ouahbi, acting as Chairman of the National Committee for Coordination of Measures to Combat Human Trafficking and Prevention, said his committee “faces many constraints while operating,” adding that “legislation aiming to combat human trafficking requires improvement.”
During a meeting held this February 15 to discuss the first annual report of the National Committee for Coordination of Measures to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking, Ouahbi stressed that what awaits the committee in the future is “much more complicated than what we have achieved so far,” due to the increasing prevalence of the phenomenon in Morocco.
The government official said the committee had completed a diagnosis on combating human trafficking crimes in the country, and found a number of issues, blocking the proper implementation of the law sanctioning the illegal practice, namely law 27.14.
The National Committee for Coordination of Actions to Combat Human Trafficking will work on a future action plan based on specific standards and goals, which will take the dangers of human trafficking into account, its rapid propagation, while also considering the complicated nature of its organization and implementation.
The committee will therefore adopt measures to combat human trafficking in the country, among which will be the creation of a national mechanism that will refer human trafficking victims to social assistance and aid programs.
The official listed an increase of human resources deployed, social aides and assistants, in order to identify the victims and direct them to competent authorities that will have them benefit from the different services provided by specialized public institutions.
Additionally, the committee “will enhance efforts in the fight against human trafficking while adopting a unified national action plan,” which will include training programs, communication campaigns, and efforts to sensitize and raise the awareness of all Moroccans about the forms of human trafficking and ways for victims to ask for help.
The committee’s future action plan in combating human trafficking, set to protect victims, whether Moroccans or foreigners, including refugees, minors, women, stateless individuals, is ready and will soon be operational across the country.
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