Trang Tran, Project Officer, EpiC Vietnam
EpiC Vietnam’s Combatting Trafficking in Persons Team
As Vietnam rebounds following the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are seeking new opportunities both at home and abroad. Several factors increase their vulnerability to human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor. These include pandemic-related unemployment and other socioeconomic stressors, limited education, lack of awareness among vulnerable populations, and perceptions of better opportunities abroad.
Three years ago, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) pledged funding to bolster counter-trafficking efforts via the Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project. USAID and EpiC work closely with the US Department of State and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to enhance survivor identification, support, and coordination. The EpiC project was chosen for this work due to its ability to leverage expertise in health systems strengthening, mental health, and holistic support for individuals’ needs. Survivors of human trafficking are also at higher risk of HIV acquisition.
The US Department of State uses a tiered ranking system to evaluate governments’ compliance with minimum standards articulated in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and efforts to address gaps. Rankings for each country are published in the US Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report. The report reviews progress in prevention of trafficking, protection of survivors, and prosecution of offenders.
The ranking includes four tiers of compliance: full compliance (Tier 1); partial compliance with or without concrete evidence (Tier 2 and Tier 2 Watch List); and no compliance (Tier 3). Vietnam was recently upgraded to Tier 2 for the first time since 2018 after multiple years on the Tier 2 Watch List (i.e. at risk of Tier 3 status) and Tier 3 (no compliance).
The report highlights several contributions made by USAID through the EpiC project as described below.
Improving the law
In 2021, after nine years of implementation, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) considered the 2011 Law on Combatting Trafficking to be inconsistent with domestic legal instruments and international standards. In collaboration with MOLISA and other stakeholders working on the revision of the law, EpiC Vietnam led the development of a Victim Support Policy Review through a multistep process (described in Figure 1). The review yielded several recommendations, including the need for well-defined procedures and guidelines for survivor support at all levels, expanded support to suspected trafficking victims, and additional measures to ensure comprehensive assistance. In June 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly discussed the updated draft law with changes incorporated from the Policy Review.
Figure 1. EpiC’s collaborative process to develop recommendations for the law revision
Training frontline responders to support survivors of trafficking
After surveying needs, EpiC Vietnam developed a comprehensive training package on person-centered, trauma-informed, and gender-sensitive care for survivors. The package is designed for frontline survivor support staff from provincial departments of labor, invalids and social affairs, police, border guards, the Women’s Union, and social protection centers at provincial and district levels. It includes on-site training and ongoing coaching. As of July 2024, the package has been used to train 189 frontline responders for survivors of trafficking in 11 provinces, and to coach 10 champions who serve as expert trainers. It is currently under review for national institutionalization and application.
Strengthening interagency coordination
In 2022, the MOLISA, with support from EpiC, developed and built consensus for an interministerial coordination framework involving four ministries engaged in survivor support. The framework outlines coordination of care for survivors at the national level and provides guidance for provinces to create their own frameworks. As of June 2024, 48 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces had developed and signed their own frameworks, specifying roles and responsibilities for each provincial authority. To explore province-specific challenges and tailor technical assistance, EpiC and MOLISA are collaboratively conducting a national impact assessment.
Identifying and supporting survivors
EpiC, MOLISA, and the International Organization of Migration jointly developed a screening toolkit to help identify potential survivors, assess their needs, offer protection, and refer them to appropriate services. Users include social workers and law enforcement officers mandated to inspect and monitor businesses where sex trafficking and other forms of trafficking often occur. As of June 2024, EpiC had trained 42 government officials from five provinces on how to optimize the use of the tool, and improved the tool based on end users’ feedback.
What’s next?
Vietnam’s upgrade to Tier 2 in the Trafficking in Persons Report is evidence of the country’s significant efforts to eliminate human trafficking. To sustain and strengthen this work, further commitment from the government and strong partnerships with stakeholders are critical. EpiC Vietnam will:
- Assess the effectiveness of national and provincial coordination frameworks to inform revisions, coordination, and service optimization.
- Institutionalize the national training curriculum, standardize the training package for pre- and in-service workers, and strengthen the capacity of an additional 130 frontline workers on survivor support.
- Improve and finalize the victim screening toolkit for rollout and inclusion in the national plan of action 2026–2030 and train an additional 75 end users.
To learn more about EpiC Vietnam’s work to combat trafficking in persons, access the links below: