They will investigate human trafficking in the Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO. The Migration's national institute (INM RD) and the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) will develop an investigation to determine the situation of trafficking in persons in the Dominican Republic, in particular women, as a way to strengthen the design of public policies that can counteract this scourge.

The study is part of the actions included in the agreement signed by the executive director of the INM RD, Florinda Rojas and the rector of INTEC, Rolando M. Guzmán, which also includes educational and scientific tasks, such as the training of diplomatic actors in the countries with the highest incidence rates of trafficking in persons.

Within the specific activities that are described in the agreement, the INM RD and INTEC, through the Center for Gender Studies, -CEG-INTEC-, also include the organization of activities that promote research, studies, awareness campaigns on migration, human rights and science and / or related subjects; education and training programs; exchange of information and documentation on the activities, subjects and / or subjects developed by both Institutions, as well as teaching materials and bibliographic funds and exchange of academic documents.

In the same way, the two entities established in this agreement to make publications together, of those materials that have been prepared and designed by both parties, among other aspects.

The signing ceremony was held in the Hall of the Rector of INTEC with the presence of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Liaison of INTEC, Víctor Gómez; the coordinator of the CEG-INTEC, Lourdes Contreras; the academic coordinator of CEG-INTEC, Desiree Del Rosario and the executive director of Institutional Relations, Patricia Portela; The researcher Elina Castillo and the International Relations Manager, Maria Paz Bermejo, participated in the INM RD.

Against human trafficking

For the coordinator of INTEC's Center for Gender Studies, Lourdes Contreras, the importance of this agreement lies in addressing the problem of trafficking in persons, a crime derived from obtaining benefits in exchange for forced labor, prostitution, linked to tourism sexual and to any form of sexual exploitation. 

"The most recent information on the subject - UNFPA 2013 - places the country in third place worldwide in terms of the rise in trafficking, indicating that some 60 thousand Dominicans are being trafficked both at home and abroad. Trafficking in persons, especially women, together with arms trafficking represents one of the most profitable illicit businesses in the world, and hence the importance of approaching as accurately as possible the handling of up-to-date and reliable information on the problem ", said the Coordinator of the CEG-INTEC. 

For its part, the executive director of the INM RD, Dr. Florinda Rojas, said that since its inception, "the National Institute of Migration is called to assist and advise the Government on the implementation of policies and preventive measures and guidance to reduce the negative impact of human trafficking and illegal human trafficking, especially of women and children, scourges that affect thousands of people in a situation of defenselessness ".

He also stressed that through inter-institutional agreements such as the one signed today with CEG-INTEC, "we will work together towards the development of tools that allow us to counteract this type of crime from academia and research, to give it the importance it currently requires", expressed the Executive Director of the INM RD. 

For the execution and coordination of the agreed activities, a Mixed Technical Commission will be created, made up of Lourdes Contreras, General coordinator of the Center for Gender Studies (CEG) by INTEC and by representatives of the Department of Migration Research and Studies and the School National Migration Board of the INM RD.

The Center for Gender Studies, CEG-INTEC, has as its mission to promote the incorporation of the gender perspective in the analysis and the political and social tasks, in teaching, research and university extension, through the development of programs and directed actions to overcome social and gender inequalities in the country.  

For its part, the National Migration Institute, a body attached to the Ministry of the Interior and Police, designs public policy proposals on migratory flows and the protection of the fundamental rights of national and foreign migrants, and in turn is responsible for the training of immigration officers through the National Migration School.