Thailand is main destination for trafficking of Lao migrants: statistics

Laos is known as a source and to a lesser extent a transit country for human trafficking, with the main destination country for Lao migrants being Thailand, according to information revealed at the National Capacity Building Conference to Counter the Global Threats of Human Trafficking, Smuggling of Migrants and Organized Crime, opened Monday in Lao capital Vientiane.

Data showed that there are about 300,000 non-documented Lao migrants in Thailand, the Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA) was quoted by Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times.

Like other countries in the Mekong subregion, the Lao demography is prevalently composed of youth, and job opportunities are limited.

Legal labor migration opportunities are scarce, difficult to access and are not adapted to demand, forcing people to seek other channels and become non-documented migrants. Non-documented workers are extremely vulnerable and statistics of case files demonstrate a clear nexus between illegal migration and human trafficking.

Combating human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and organized crime is a huge task as the geographical structure comprising long, natural porous borders, delimited often by forests, rivers or mountains provide an advantage for people seeking profits through organized crime activities.

Language barriers and the absence of functional international cooperation mechanisms hamper effective investigations and exchange to counter transnational crime, said ILSTA.

The new dynamism of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is forging closer economic ties between ASEAN member countries and increasing cross border flows. One-stop shops and simplified border procedures are reducing the number of controls within the AEC borders and is likely to increase illegal flows and strengthen crime networks.

While ASEAN ministerial meetings address organized crime and human trafficking on a political level, all Mekong subregion countries are seriously challenged to respond effectively to these crimes, reported Vientiane Times.

The conference organized by the ILSTA aims to raise awareness of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and organized crime and providing a platform to foster national and international networks and cooperation between judiciary and relevant law enforcement agencies in the region in order to counter organized crime.

Trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants has become one of the most profitable activities of organized crime groups worldwide. It is estimated that in the Asia-Pacific region alone, some 11.7 million people are in forced labor, according to Vientiane Times. Endit