Human trafficking and migrant smuggling remained one of the most lucrative business generating over $32 billion in profits annually.
The Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Pakistan, Cesar Guedes, said this on Tuesday while addressing a two-day “regional conference on human trafficking and migrant smuggling” organised by the UNODC in collaboration with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at a local hotel.
He pointed out that there were 2.4 million victims of human trafficking around the world out of which 70 percent were women and young girls.
The conference was first of its kind in the region attended by ambassadors and high commissioners, senior government officials and representatives from 50 countries to enhance regional cooperation related to irregular migration attempts.
Akbar Khan Hoti, FIA Director General, on said that the FIA had arrested 1,310 smugglers and they were endeavouring to overcome the growing challenges posed by human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He said Pakistan was committed to working collectively with the world against the human and migrant smuggling. Additional Director General Immigration, FIA, Wajid Zia while giving presentation on Pakistan’s role as a source, transit and a destination country, said around 8.3 million Pakistanis were working abroad.
He said their most migrants were living in Middle East and most of the Pakistanis were deported from the same region.
He said Pakistan had taken a number of initiatives which caused decree in deportees figure. “We have also seen improvement in cooperation between Pakistan and Iran’s investigative wings to cope with the challenge,” he pointed out.
Besides others, High Commissioner of Australia HE Margaret Adamson, High Commissioner of Canada HE Heather Cruden, Representative of UNODC HQ Vienna, Data and Analysis Section, Fabrizio Sarrica, Austria’s Representative Ulrich Nachtlberger, Ms Leisa James, Andre Gautheir, Shaun Anton, Manuel Albano and Naweed Riaz addressed the conference.
