Reducing victim assistance gaps in trafficking of human beings: simulation-based training as a tool to capacitate professionals in improving the work in the field

In the last two decades, human trafficking has become one of the main international concerns, and numerous tools and treaties related have been developed. Although such a progress confirms the urgency of combating human trafficking at the international level, various developed countries fail to implement their legal obligations to protect and assist victims of human trafficking, which is one of the main objectives of 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (“The Palermo Protocol”). Scarcity in legal support, shortage of safe shelter alternatives, and insufficient mental health and psychosocial support are some of the gaps that States face when dealing with victim assistance, in particular at an early stage of victim identification. Using a live simulation-based training method, the OSCE created a four-year project entitled “Combating Human Trafficking along Mixed Migration Routes” with the objective to improve professionals´ capacity to effectively identify and protect victims of trafficking and to prosecute traffickers. Through this learning-by-doing experience, the organization sought to better address some of the challenges that are linked to the identification of victims of trafficking among States. After being involved in the last simulation training organized by the OSCE within the aforementioned project and together with the participation in another simulation training organized by the European Union last April in Vicenza entitled “Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in EU Civilian CSDP Missions“, the author studies the effectiveness of such simulation-based training method in capacitating simulation participants in improving the work in the field and address trafficking victim assistance gaps applying a multi-agency, victim-centered and human rights-based approach.