Siobhán Mullally, the special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and Ashwini K.P., the special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, said they welcomed the establishment of a new national referral mechanism (NRM) and the publication of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023.

However, in a joint statement issued this week, they insisted that further measures are urgently needed to ensure effective access to assistance and protection measures, including safe housing.

“We call for urgent action to provide dedicated, safe accommodation for victims of trafficking, and to implement a statutory framework for assistance measures, including medical assistance, psycho-social support, and legal aid, in partnership with civil society organisations,” they said.

The experts said particular focus was necessary on the gender dimension of trafficking, the risks of trafficking for migrant women, and the need for specialised assistance and protection measures.

“As a new national referral mechanism is developed, it is critical that civil society organisations and statutory bodies are well resourced to strengthen prevention of trafficking and ensure equal protection of all victims,” they said.

“Trafficking is a serious human rights violation and a serious crime, and victims have a right to effective remedies and to protection, without discrimination.”