Migration and human trafficking in focus of joint visit of OSCE Special Representative, Parliamentary Assembly humanitarian Chair, to Italy’s Lampedusa

CATANIA, Italy, 24 June 2016 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, on Thursday concluded a joint visit to Lampedusa and Catania, Italy, with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly humanitarian Chair in order to assess conditions among migrants and refugees and evaluate risks for human trafficking.

The five-day trip allowed them to meet with a range of officials, hold conversations with refugees and sail aboard Italian coast guard vessels carrying out rescue operations in the Mediterranean. On the aircraft carrier Garibaldi they were also briefed about the European Union Naval Force – Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED) and had a chance to observe its patrolling operations at sea.

“People on the move in the Mediterranean region are at great risk of becoming human trafficking victims, but we can prevent this crime,” Jarbussynova said. “The Italian authorities are working hard to save migrants at sea and assist them on land, and I was encouraged by what I saw at the Lampedusa and Catania reception centres.”

Both Lampedusa and Catania, on Sicily, are part of the European Union’s new Hotspot approach, which supports the swift identification, registration and fingerprinting of people in areas facing a large influx of migrants. Lampedusa is an official Hotspot, while Catania serves as the regional headquarters.

Often impoverished and jobless, migrants can become easy targets for those who abuse them in situations of modern-day slavery, part of an illegal multi-billion euro industry.

Jarbussynova was joined on the trip by Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.

“I am impressed by the efforts of the officials, professionals, volunteers and activists in Italy, who under difficult circumstances are showing great dedication and are doing the best they can to provide assistance and protection,” Santos said. “European countries must show greater solidarity and speed up the relocation process in order to more equitably host men, women and children fleeing their homes due to conflict and persecution. Our responsibility to protect lives comes above any responsibility to protect borders.”

Santos called on fellow parliamentarians from OSCE participating States to create the political will necessary to establish humanitarian corridors and legal channels of access to Europe.

The Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings emphasized migration issues in its work since 2015, when it devoted the 15^th Alliance conference to the trafficking risks migrants face. Earlier this month Jarbussynova launched a ground-breaking training initiative in Vicenza, Italy, and also visited several countries affected by the recent influx. Additional trips to Bulgaria and Greece are scheduled later this year.