The International Workshop on Strategies for Combating Human Trafficking kicked off Aug. 28 in Taipei City, reaffirming the government’s commitment to working with Taiwan’s partner countries to ensure fundamental human rights for all.
 
Organized by the Ministry of the Interior, the two-day event involved around 300 attendees from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, and included officials, members of the diplomatic corps, researchers and nongovernmental organization representatives.
 
In his opening remarks, MOI Deputy Minister Maa Shyh-yuan said the event, now in its 16th year, is a vital platform for exchanges between Taiwan and the global community on preventing cross-border crimes and combating human trafficking.
 
Citing statistics from the U.N., Maa said more than 100,000 individuals, many of whom were victims of human trafficking, were lured to various locations and pressured to engage in telecommunication fraud in 2023. As a result of cross-ministerial efforts, the number of Taiwan nationals that have fallen victim to such operations has significantly declined, he added.
 
The deputy minister said recent amendments to the country’s Human Trafficking Prevention Act include a provision to grant immunity or reduced sentences to perpetrators if they are victims of human trafficking. This new measure is expected to enhance law enforcement’s ability to fight criminal organizations while protecting human rights, he added.
 
According to the MOI, the workshop’s focus is on the topics of atypical victims of human trafficking under forced criminality; strategies for preventing transnational human trafficking crimes; key strategies for preventing forced labor and organ harvesting; and protection and challenges of rights of victims of sexual exploitation.
 

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)