Child victims of human trafficking should not be deported but repatriated to their home countries, said an international children's rights group.
At a workshop in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Ecpat International also urged authorities not to criminalise child victims but to treat them with dignity and sensitivity.
The organisation, whose acronym stands for 'end child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes', wants governments to change their strategy on this issue.
"Children detained are normally deported which should not be the case...(the) governments' strategy to deal with this should be repatriation," said its spokesperson Guy Thompstone.
He stressed that "it is unacceptable to return children to the situation they have come from" if they have been sold or victimised by their families.
"Furthermore, human trafficking is often viewed as an immigration problem and not a human rights issue," he told some 45 participants at a three-day workshop which ends today.
The'National Trafficking - Developing a National Action Plan' workshop is being organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia. The participants are expected to draft a national plan of action (NPA) for Malaysia.
Ecpat International, which is a network of 70 child rights organisations from more than 60 countries, has its secretariat in Bangkok.
Contacted yesterday, Amnesty International's refugee co-ordinator Pia Oberoi explained the difference between repatriation and deportation.
Deportation is when a person is expelled from a country arbitrarily, except when it conflicts with international laws, and is not given the right to appeal.
Repatriation is outlined in the UN's Refugee Convention. Refugees may voluntarily choose to return home, or can be repatriated if the situation in their home country is no longer deemed dangerous.
Sexual exploitation
Meanwhile, Thompstone also spoke on the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Among Ecpat International's primary concerns is to combat the problem of "hoards of men travelling to Asia to commit child sex abuse".
"Malaysia's economic position makes it vulnerable for engagement in other forms of commercial sexual exploitation as well - not just street soliciting," he warned, citing Japan as an example where advertisements on sex with children are posted on the Internet and mobile phones.
In contextualising his presentation with the workshop objective, Thompstone advised that NPAs must be clear on its strategies for children.
"It must be noted that trafficking of children is not done only for the sex trade but also for labour purposes as they are made to work in mines, as domestic workers and used for begging...," he said.
Wider areas must also be addressed, such as the decriminalisation of child victims and the need to increase knowledge and improve attitudes among enforcement officials.
Thompstone highlighted five key areas in fighting commercial sexual exploitation of children.
These include prevention of trafficking, protection of victims, the participation of youth/child in the fight and collaboration as well as co-operation among governmental and non- governmental bodies.
"The recovery and reintegration (of children) into society, which is one of the five areas, strongly supports the repatriation and not the deportation strategy," said Thompstone.
Using Thailand's NPA as a model. he said the plan has served as a springboard for many new laws and memoranda of understanding with neighbouring countries.
"There must be a proper time-frame in place," he said of the three elements which must be built in when implementing an NPA.
Identifying and supporting lead agencies and key actors, as well as adequate resources, are the other elements of an effective plan.
Read more here;https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/30561
At a workshop in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Ecpat International also urged authorities not to criminalise child victims but to treat them with dignity and sensitivity.
The organisation, whose acronym stands for 'end child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes', wants governments to change their strategy on this issue.
"Children detained are normally deported which should not be the case...(the) governments' strategy to deal with this should be repatriation," said its spokesperson Guy Thompstone.
He stressed that "it is unacceptable to return children to the situation they have come from" if they have been sold or victimised by their families.
"Furthermore, human trafficking is often viewed as an immigration problem and not a human rights issue," he told some 45 participants at a three-day workshop which ends today.
The'National Trafficking - Developing a National Action Plan' workshop is being organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia. The participants are expected to draft a national plan of action (NPA) for Malaysia.
Ecpat International, which is a network of 70 child rights organisations from more than 60 countries, has its secretariat in Bangkok.Contacted yesterday, Amnesty International's refugee co-ordinator Pia Oberoi explained the difference between repatriation and deportation.
Deportation is when a person is expelled from a country arbitrarily, except when it conflicts with international laws, and is not given the right to appeal.
Repatriation is outlined in the UN's Refugee Convention. Refugees may voluntarily choose to return home, or can be repatriated if the situation in their home country is no longer deemed dangerous.
Sexual exploitation
Meanwhile, Thompstone also spoke on the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Among Ecpat International's primary concerns is to combat the problem of "hoards of men travelling to Asia to commit child sex abuse".
"Malaysia's economic position makes it vulnerable for engagement in other forms of commercial sexual exploitation as well - not just street soliciting," he warned, citing Japan as an example where advertisements on sex with children are posted on the Internet and mobile phones.
In contextualising his presentation with the workshop objective, Thompstone advised that NPAs must be clear on its strategies for children.
"It must be noted that trafficking of children is not done only for the sex trade but also for labour purposes as they are made to work in mines, as domestic workers and used for begging...," he said.
Wider areas must also be addressed, such as the decriminalisation of child victims and the need to increase knowledge and improve attitudes among enforcement officials.
Thompstone highlighted five key areas in fighting commercial sexual exploitation of children.
These include prevention of trafficking, protection of victims, the participation of youth/child in the fight and collaboration as well as co-operation among governmental and non- governmental bodies.
"The recovery and reintegration (of children) into society, which is one of the five areas, strongly supports the repatriation and not the deportation strategy," said Thompstone.
Using Thailand's NPA as a model. he said the plan has served as a springboard for many new laws and memoranda of understanding with neighbouring countries.
"There must be a proper time-frame in place," he said of the three elements which must be built in when implementing an NPA.
Identifying and supporting lead agencies and key actors, as well as adequate resources, are the other elements of an effective plan.
Read more here;https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/30561
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