Combating Human Trafficking in Mongolia Partner: The Asia Foundation The Challenge Human trafficking has been on the rise in Mongolia. In 2000, there were 2 recorded victims of trafficking, while in 2007 the number had grown to over 100, with many other cases that go unreported. The acuteness of poverty in Mongolia relative to other Asian countries contributes to this vulnerability, with few opportunities for employment at home. Mongolian youth and women are particularly susceptible to falling victim to trafficking recruiters as they are desperate for opportunities to find work and often lack access to safe and accurate information about going abroad. Outreach and prevention are greatly needed to counter these dangers. The Goal To help fight trafficking of vulnerable women and youth by strengthening a free national phone hotline that offers resources for people to protect themselves. About The Asia Foundation The Asia Foundation is a U.S. based public charity with local staff and partners throughout Asia. In Mongolia since 1990, The Asia Foundation promotes justice, accountability and prosperity. The Foundation supports governance, environmental and civil society strengthening initiatives. Beginning in 2006, The Asia Foundation began addressing the growing threat of trafficking in persons in Mongolia. The Asia Foundation has strengthened the legal framework for prosecuting trafficking cases and significantly strengthened the capacity of local partners who provide services to victims. MONGOLIA The Solution Human traffickers have many ways of luring youth – through false advertisements for overseas employment in local media and other personalized recruitment efforts. The Asia Foundation established the national anti-trafficking hotline in 2006, in partnership with the Gender Equality Center. Since then it has received 1,592 calls, and in 2007, there was a ten-fold increase in trafficking cases registered with the police as a result of the hotline. The Asia Foundation has also reached an estimated 100,000 youth thus far through multi-media and awareness campaigns. Despite the hotline’s success, the government has not yet stepped in to support the program, and it is in danger of being discontinued. This project would help save the sole anti-trafficking hotline in Mongolia and expand its reach through the following activities: Strengthening the National Hotline: The hotline will be able to help more victims who have already been trafficked outside the country, and staffed by operators specially trained in victim services, and information verification and dissemination. Hotline staff will be able to verify information on ads and provide consultations to potential victims. Building Cases Against Traffickers: Hotline staff will coordinate with government and non- government organizations to a) repatriate victims of trafficking from abroad, and b) build cases for the prosecution of traffickers identified through calls to the hotlines. Promoting Public Awareness: The Asia Foundation will publicize the hotline through multi-media campaigns in order to increase usage and effectiveness of the hotline. $50,000 enables the sole national trafficking hotline to run for 1 year, building cases against traffickers and promoting awareness For more information: Visit: I Call: I Give2Asia; Copyright © 2009