U.S. Embassy Supports Training for General Security to Fight Trafficking in Persons

October 23, 2008

Deputy Chief of Mission Bill Grant participated in a ceremony at the headquarters of General Security October 22 to honor 52 General Security investigators who participated in a U.S. Department of State-sponsored course on “Human Rights and Investigation Techniques with Victims of Trafficking.” 

This training course is part of the continued U.S. government support to Caritas Lebanon’s Safehouse for Victims of Trafficking.  Since 2005, the U.S. Government has provided $1 million to Caritas to help victims of trafficking. 

The course increased the investigators’ knowledge about trafficking  issues and their awareness of migrants’ rights.  It also provided them with information on ways of identifying victims so that they may be referred for assistance at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center.

Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center works in partnership with the General Directorate of General Security and the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).  More than 552 victims of trafficking, a majority of whom were women, have been assisted. The partnership has resulted in a number of breakthroughs for victims of trafficking.  Trafficking victims receive social, medical, and legal assistance, as well as shelter, trauma counseling, recreational activities, informal vocational training, repatriation and sustainability grants because of the U.S. funding.