Strengthening Regional Efforts against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Central America and Mexico

North America (the United States and Canada) has constituted a region of destination, many from Mesoamerica, especially from Mexico, for several decades. While migration flows from most Central American and many Caribbean countries to the United States increased in 2011, this same year, the Regional Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), was also established. This alliance includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and was created to unite efforts to combat trafficking in persons and related crimes in Central America and Mexico.

In this respect, the proposed project aims to contribute to strengthening the regional coordination efforts against trafficking in persons and improve the protection of victims in this region.

More specifically, this project will provide technical assistance and specialized advisory to the relevant governments that constitute the Regional Coalition against TIP and SOM, involving relevant stakeholders: immigration authorities, public prosecutors and the national police, among others.

The main components of this project will aim to: 1) improve the regional capacity to plan and articulate joint counter-trafficking actions; 2) standardize regional strategies that contribute to the prevention of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in accordance with international instruments; and finally, 3) promote inter-agency coordination in the relevant countries to ensure the protection and care of victims during the investigation and persecution of the crime of trafficking in persons.