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Counter trafficking

Foreigners in Israel are particularly vulnerable to the offenses of modern slavery and human trafficking. Although there has been a decline in human trafficking for prostitution in recent years, the number of victims of trafficking and torture coming to Israel from the Egyptian border has increased dramatically since 2006. Some of the asylum seekers who tried to cross the border into Israel via Sinai with the help of Bedouin smugglers fell victim to gangs of traffickers and criminals. Some were brought to camps where they were abused and raped and their families were forced to pay a ransom for their release. Thousands of immigrants live in Israel today with traumas, mental and physical injuries as a result of their journey to Israel. In addition, there is an increase in the number of victims being exploited in their workplace. Some labor migrants who come to Israel with a legal work visa face a violation of basic rights such as illegal possession of their passports, restriction of movement, delay in salaries, sexual assault, and physical threats.

 

CIMI operates in three prominent areas to assist this population:

  • Building Capabilities: In collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the Immigration and Population Authority and MASHAV (Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), CIMI held seminars and training programs on the fight against human trafficking for public employees and civil society organizations from various countries. Today, most of the Organization's activities in this field deal with the training of government officials in Israel. The training programs help in the effective identification of victims of trafficking and promote tools and cultural understanding among the organizations that deal with the victims of trafficking.

  • Rehabilitation: In cooperation with the shelters for victims of trafficking, CIMI holds professional training in shelters and offers rehabilitation and reintegration services to victims returning to their country.

  • Prevention: CIMI works to prevent human trafficking through research, implementation of bilateral agreements, participation in international forums and spreading information in the countries of origin of the workers. 

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