Timor-Leste creates Commission to fight Human Trafficking
The legislation creating the Commission to Fight Human Trafficking, which had been approved by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Justice, Manuel Cárceres da Costa, was promulgated and published in the Jornal da República (Official Gazette), on June 30th, 2021.
This commission guarantees the existence of a coordinated action between the various actors involved in the fight against human trafficking, in order to define the necessary policies and strategies for an effective prevention and fight against human trafficking. Various public services and entities are represented in this structure, particularly from the justice and security areas, but there are also representatives from the civil society.
The creation of this commission complies with the Law on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons, ensuring the existence of an inter-ministerial coordination structure specially charged with coordinating, at national level, the different entities responsible for preventing and fighting human trafficking.
The Commission shall also be responsible for promoting and ensuring cooperation with foreign entities in fighting human trafficking, as well as monitoring the implementation of the provisions of the conventions that Timor-Leste has ratified or will ratify in the area of human trafficking.
The Ministry of Interior is also preparing the implementation of a new border management information system, the MIDAS (Migration Information and Data Analysis System). This system, developed by the International Organization for Migration, allows the collection, processing, storage and analysis of traveller information in real time, enabling the monitoring of entries and exits of the territory more effectively. It also enables automatic queries to be sent to INTERPOL databases and other relevant watch lists in order to detect travel documents and individuals potentially linked to transnational organised crime, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The Spokesperson of the 8th Constitutional Government, Minister Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, stated that the creation of this commission "besides fulfilling the Law on Preventing and Fighting Human Trafficking and the international obligations in this area, demonstrates that Timor-Leste is committed to gather all the necessary efforts to prevent and fight this heinous crime that attacks human dignity".
