On 15 and 16 June 2017, IOM Slovenia organized a training titled “Identification and Referral for Assistance and Protection of Child (Potential) Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings”. The training was carried out by the Regional Thematic Specialist Ms. Irina Todorova and an expert in child protection from IOM Greece Ms. Smaro Pegiou. In addition, the Slovenian National Coordinator for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings, Mr. Sandi Čurin opened the training session with a presentation of the national context and the efforts of the inter-ministerial working group for combating THB which operates under the Slovenian Ministry of the Interior.

The objective of the interactive training was to raise awareness among first responders who find themselves dealing with migrant children, and capacities to work with migrant children and particularly vulnerable cases such as unaccompanied children. The curriculum provided necessary background and tools on identification and referral of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of trafficking or at risk of trafficking, as well as on implementation of Child Safeguarding standards. In addition, mechanisms for protection of children in cross-border situations - risk assessment for abuses, sexual and labour exploitation, human trafficking, etc. were presented and a special session was dedicated to referral mechanism in Slovenia, with rights and options available to migrant children and particularly unaccompanied children. Participants were familiarized with the Transnational Referral Mechanism model (TRM), child safeguarding standards, the existing SOPs in Slovenia and the Manual for Identification and Assistance provided to Victims of Human Trafficking, developed by the Ministry of Interior.

The training was delivered to altogether 33 frontline workers of various background. Among participants were social workers, cultural mediators, interpreters, children’s animators, legal representatives and guardians of unaccompanied children, police officer, representatives of Centres for Social Work, Migrant Welfare and Integration Office as well as Ministry of Interior.

The training was implemented within the organization’s regional project Protecting Children in the Context of the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe. The project promotes the prevention of violence against children and respect for their rights along the migration route. It aims to strengthen integrated national child protection systems, deliver capacity building activities and facilitate data collection and the monitoring of the situation of refugee and migrant children in the region.

The project is funded by the European Union.