Victim-centric approach and collaboration key to tackling human trafficking

The report “Anti-human trafficking Bill tabled in Parliament” (Oct 8) explains how Singapore will address the problem of trafficking in persons.

The effort to address the prevention of human trafficking with specific legislation should be lauded. At the same time, we must ensure that this legislation does not become just a paper exercise.

Beyond stiffer penalties for offenders, a victim-centric approach to implementing this law is crucial in ensuring that offenders are punished accordingly and victims have access to the trauma-informed care they require to heal.

For a start, we must increase our knowledge base about the state of human trafficking in Singapore. As a destination country for human and labour trafficking, more research must be conducted to understand trafficking trajectories and victim demographics.

In turn, this would inform how law enforcement agencies are trained to spot signs of trafficking accurately, how they respond to victims seeking help and engage with perpetrators claiming innocence.

Equally important, this research would be essential in identifying gaps and improving victim access to trauma-informed support services. For example, having services available in multiple languages is a simple but effective tool in encouraging victims to report abusers and seek help.

Human trafficking is not caused by poverty, gender or any of the risk factors the media so commonly cites. It is caused by traffickers — exploitative recruiters at points of origin, inhumane abusers in destination countries and deceitful smugglers who transport the victims from place to place.

Unless victims have confidence that they will receive the help they need, such atrocities will continue to be under-reported and perpetrators will continue to get away.

I encourage businesses, government agencies and the non-profit sector to collaborate and strive for collective impact in the prevention of human trafficking.

The transnational, complex nature of this growing criminal enterprise can be tackled effectively as long as innovative solutions grounded in victim-centred data are in place.