Indonesia calls for victim-centered approach to combat trafficking
..poverty, undocumented status, working abroad, or administrative violations do not diminish a person’s dignity.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stressed that efforts to combat human trafficking must prioritize victim protection amid the growing complexity of transnational trafficking.
Speaking at the 9th Legal International Conference & Studies (LICS) and Call for Papers in Semarang on Thursday (July 30), he said efforts must also focus on disrupting criminal networks and strengthening international cooperation.
“The challenges in human trafficking are evolving alongside increasingly complex forms of exploitation, ranging from recruitment through misleading job offers and the misuse of social media to the involvement of victims in various forms of transnational cybercrime,” he said in a statement on Friday.
According to him, this situation demands national coordination and international cooperation for more effective law enforcement.
Mahendra emphasized that poverty, undocumented status, working abroad, or administrative violations do not strip people of their dignity.
Instead, such circumstances heighten the state’s responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals and uphold the law.
He addressed that law enforcement authorities should assess human trafficking cases based on the criminal elements outlined in the Palermo Protocol to ensure appropriate legal action and victim protection.
According to Mahendra, the situation requires stronger national coordination and international cooperation to ensure more effective law enforcement.
He emphasized that poverty, undocumented status, working abroad, or administrative violations do not diminish a person’s dignity. Instead, such circumstances increase the state’s responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals and uphold the law.
He said law enforcement authorities should assess human trafficking cases based on the criminal elements outlined in the Palermo Protocol to ensure appropriate legal action and adequate victim protection. In addition to women and children, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups are also at risk of forced labor and other forms of exploitation.
Indonesia has established a comprehensive legal framework to combat human trafficking through Law No. 21 of 2007 on the Eradication of the Crime of Human Trafficking, complemented by international instruments such as the Palermo Protocol.
Alongside reforms to the national criminal law system, Mahendra said policy harmonization is needed to strengthen victim protection, restitution, asset tracing, and cooperation among institutions and countries.
Furthermore, he stressed that the challenges of eradicating human trafficking cannot be addressed simply by creating new regulations.
He said these efforts require greater public awareness, stronger community resilience, education for vulnerable groups, and close collaboration among stakeholders to prevent people from falling victim to exploitative recruitment practices.
Mahendra also encouraged academics to continue producing research and policy recommendations to strengthen national efforts to combat human trafficking.
The international conference was attended by academics, practitioners, and doctoral students from various countries. The forum also featured speakers and participants from at least 18 countries, including Spain, Jordan, Türkiye, Japan, Germany, Australia, Italy, Egypt, Morocco, and the Maldives, who exchanged ideas on strengthening legal systems and international cooperation to combat human trafficking.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia, Resinta Sulistiyandari