IOM, police establish Database to counter Human Trafficking

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with the Sri Lanka Police Department has created a database to combat human trafficking.
The database, hosted at the Criminal Records Division, will not only house relevant statistical data but will also be used to update information on trafficking cases progressively, thus helping to track cases and identify similar trends and persons involved in these offences.
“Human trafficking is an issue of growing concern worldwide and more so as of late in Sri Lanka”, says Anuradhi Navaratnam, Programme Manager of IOM Sri Lanka’s Counter Trafficking Unit. “There is a considerable gap in data related to identified and prosecuted cases of human trafficking and it is this gap we are trying to bridge through the development of the database,” adds Anuradhi.
The database is a comprehensive and central data collection system which could capture human trafficking offences and also assist law enforcement officers to track and prosecute these cases.
Plans are also underway to link the database with other relevant government bodies dealing with cases of human trafficking. “By doing so we hope to bring together all partners and stakeholders to collaborate in combating human trafficking,” says Anuradhi.
The Sri Lanka Rs. 5.7 million project, funded by the British High Commission, is an integral component of IOM Sri Lanka’s Migration Management assistance portfolio through which IOM supports national initiatives that aim at strengthening the capacity of government and other stakeholders to manage migration more effectively.