Rights Protection for Returned Human Trafficking Victims: A Case Study of Lao Cai Province
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Abstract
The paper aims to evaluate if and how the rights of human trafficking victims have been protected in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. The article will analyze some issues of rights protection for the returned victims of trafficking in Lao Cai from 2013 to 2023. The key concepts of this article are the right to protection and the right to enjoy support regimes for human trafficking victims. The study includes (1) analyzing documents, including policy and legal documents on human trafficking prevention law and Vietnam's policies on victim protection and support, (2) interviews with five experts who are officials in charge of human trafficking prevention at competent agencies to evaluate the current local law enforcement situation. and (3) in-depth interviews with 10 victims of trafficking in the province to find out how their right to protection and their right to enjoy support regimes have been protected during the process of returning to their communities. Although there have been legal improvements and ratifications at the regional and national levels against human trafficking and to protect trafficking victims, gaps appear in the implementation process. The research shows that in terms of receiving and supporting the victims, local government resources, including funding, physical facilities, and specialized staff, are still limited and relying heavily on the funds/resources of NGOs. Many victims still live in unsafe social environments after being trafficked. These issues suggest that allocating adequate resources (finance, capacity of protection agencies and staff) and coordination among different agencies need to be addressed.
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