The National Committee for Counter Trafficking in persons (NCCT) is pushing for the implementation of a migrant health policy by the Ministry of Health and drafting a 10-year action plan which will be introduced in the near future.
Permanent vice chairperson of the NCCT Chou Bun Eng revealed the commitment on August 12 in a press conference on the situation of human trafficking in Cambodia organised by the government spokesperson unit at the Council of Ministers.
“We are preparing for the next step by establishing a 2022-2023 action plan and will declare the targets we hope to achieve. We are pushing for the implementation of a migrant health policy – as well as preparing the action plan. In short, we care deeply about migrant workers,” she said.
Human trafficking is notably tied to recruitment scams and migration. Secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice Keng Somarith urged the judicial system to take firm action against all human trafficking cases once they reach the courts. He called for the utmost focus on investigating, charging, and sentencing all the cases that reach the court.
He said from December 26, 2021 to June 25 this year, courts across the country had received 195 human trafficking cases; 153 of which had been completed according to procedure, while 42 others remained active cases. Additionally, there are 178 cases under investigation, with a further 280 having reached the trial phase.
