Draft of amended Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking requires more support for victims

The National Assembly Standing Committee scrutinized the draft on amendments and supplements to the Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking, on the morning of April 1. Minister of Public Security General To Lam delivered a report on the amendments and supplements to the law at the meeting.

Authorized by the Prime Minister to present the report on the project to amend the law, Minister To Lam said that the Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking, which was passed by the 12th National Assembly on March 29, 2011, and took effect on January 1, 2012, has created a legal corridor for functional forces to prevent and combat trafficking in persons over the past years. 

However, after 12 years of implementing the law, it has showed a number of limitations, requiring basic amendments and supplements so as to institutionalize the Party's viewpoints on human trafficking prevention and combat as well as to make it consistent with the current legal system and compatible with international treaties.

The amended law draft with the amendments and supplements is seen as more suitable for the reality of preventing and combating trafficking in persons while removing inadequacies and inconsistencies with other existing laws.

According to Minister To Lam, the amended law draft has been drafted by the Ministry of Public Security in accordance with the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents. 

The draft law includes 8 chapters and 66 articles, the same number of chapters, but it has amended 52  articles, drafted nine new articles and removed one article.

Specifically, the amended law draft has an additional concept of "human trafficking," amended regulations on bases for identifying victims of trafficking in human and regulations on sources of official documents and evidence to determine victims and a number of other bases to determine victims.

The amended law draft also has additional regulations on the concept of "persons who are in the process of being identified as victims" and additional regulations on support and protection policies for persons who are in the process of being determined as victims of trafficking in person.

Accordingly, it requires relevant authorities to provide essential needs, travel expenses, medical services, psychological support, legal aid, interpreter costs for the person in the process of being determined as a victim.

The amended law draft requires more support for persons considered victims of trafficking in persons and determined victims of trafficking in persons, compared to the current law.
 

For example, all victims who wish to return to their place of residence are supported with travel and food expenses and may receive free medical examination and treatment, psychological counseling and legal aid.