(Seychelles News Agency) - In an effort to combat the pervasive crime of human trafficking, government officers and law enforcement agencies in Seychelles attended comprehensive training sessions to gain more insight into how to better identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking in person cases.

The three-day training was organised by the National Coordinating Committee against Trafficking In Persons (NCCTIP), in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The training sessions with 33 participants covered a wide array of topics, including identifying trafficking victims, investigation techniques, victim support and protection, legal frameworks, and international cooperation.

In her closing address on Friday, the chairperson of the  NCCTIP, Linda William-Melanie said, “It is always important for us to continue to empower the workers in various agencies that deal with this matter, especially those who are on the front line and deal directly with migrant workers.”

She explained that most often migrant workers are not aware of their rights, and so some employers take advantage of this to intimidate or mistreat workers.

When such cases arise, people who have been trained will be tasked with dealing with these issues and this is why such training is important.

Organisations and departments represented in the training included the Departments of Employment, Immigration, Social Services and Foreign Affairs alongside the Seychelles Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office and the Seychelles International Trade Zone.

According to the Ministry of Employment, as of July 2022, 25 percent of the workforce in Seychelles were migrant workers, and in recent years, there have been numerous cases of these workers being mistreated and allegedly not being paid their salaries.

William-Melanie said added work is being done to tackle human trafficking, especially those aimed at migrant workers. These include educating this particular group about their rights, where they can get help and report cases when they are being taken advantage of.

A press release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Friday said that by strengthening the capacity of government officers and law enforcement agencies, this initiative not only enhances the immediate response to trafficking cases but also contributes to broader efforts aimed at preventing trafficking and protecting the rights of all individuals.

A participant in the training, Samia Ally, a welfare officer from the employment department, said she learned a lot and that will help in the work that she does.

“This training has enriched my knowledge of human trafficking and will help me to help the victims better and enforce the laws already in place,” she added.

Seychelles is working to continuously make efforts to address recommendations outlined in the 2023 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by the United States Department of State, so as to maintain its Tier 1 status.

The island nation is the only Tier 1 country in Africa and only two countries, Denmark and Seychelles, were upgraded to Tier 1 in the 2023 report.