The training course called “Trafficking in Children for Begging and Other Forms of Exploitation” was held this week in Batumi, which was attended by the main actors involved in combating trafficking in human beings in Georgia: police investigators, prosecutors and social workers alike engaged in active discussions on how to deal with human trafficking, in particular when it concerns child begging.

IOM and the Ministry of Justice had invited two Greek experts to present the ways law enforcement and social assistance agencies can cooperate in enhancing a victim-centered approach, highlight the phenomenon of street begging from various angles, demonstrate good practices of identification and proactive investigation, stress the importance of public awareness on child begging issues, design an effective and targeted information campaign, and showcase effective interview techniques (simulation).

IOM organized this training in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, whereas this activity is part of a project funded by the International Bureau for Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of State. The project, as part of which this course was organized, aims to foster multi-agency and inter-disciplinary coordination and cooperation in eradicating human trafficking in Georgia.

Thanks to the support of the US Government, IOM will continue supporting the Georgian government in its efforts to combat trafficking in human beings and enhance multi-agency cooperation to achieve better results.