The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the National Police Headquarters and the Trauma Center is implementing an anti-trafficking information and awareness-raising project between 1 June 2020 and 31 March 2023, titled "Don’t let it happen, don’t make it happen!” (BBA-5.1.6/10-2019-00001).

According to the European Commission’s report, Hungary is among the top five EU countries of citizenship of registered victims of trafficking (https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/po…). Hungarian citizens are highly affected by both cross-border and domestic human trafficking.

The aim of the project is to draw the attention of the Hungarian population to the phenomenon and dangers of human trafficking, thereby reducing the risk of becoming a victim on the supply side and minimizing the demand for services in connection with human trafficking on the demand side by raising awareness. In order to achieve this goal, we are launching online and offline national awareness-raising campaigns, organizing visits to various institutions throughout the country (schools, children’s homes, summer camps) for prevention purposes, as well as holding panel discussions and information sessions for professionals. The campaign on the supply side of human trafficking presents the types and dangers of this crime in an understandable way and therefore reduces the risk of becoming a victim. Our project, uniquely in Hungary, also addresses the demand side of human trafficking. The related campaign focuses on shaping attitudes by drawing society's attention to all the personal tragedies that lie behind the services provided through human trafficking and exploitation, and thus shapes the decisions and behaviour related to it in the long run. The campaigns and prevention sessions will showcase all forms of exploitation: sexual exploitation and labour exploitation including domestic servitude, forced begging, coercion to commit a crime, and organ trafficking.

In order to select the most appropriate campaign strategy, we conduct researches to assess the level of social awareness and knowledge about human trafficking, the social attitudes associated with the phenomenon, and the drivers of the demand side of trafficking. In the final phase of the project, we will repeat the research on social awareness with the aim of measuring the impact of the campaign.

The antecedent of this project is the “Be aware! - Campaign to fight against trafficking in human beings (BBA-5.4.4.-16-2016-0001)” and the “Don’t let it happen” campaign (http://nehagyd.hu/) implemented within its framework that was carried out by IOM in 2017-2018 in partnership with the National Police Headquarters.

For further information, please contact:

• Csilla Janka - csjanka@iom.int 

The project is co-financed by the Internal Security Fund of the European Union and the Hungarian Ministry of Interior. The total cost of the project is HUF 197,098,868 of which the amount received by IOM is HUF 169,928,144. The grant rate is 100 per cent of the eligible cost of the project, of which 75 per cent is the contribution of the Internal Security Fund and 25 per cent of the Ministry of Interior.