Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has highlighted the importance of establishing a shelter for victims of human trafficking. She made the remark while inaugurating an anti-human trafficking workshop.
Speaking at the workshop, Minister Mariya said the collaboration between ministries and institutions is one of the most important cornerstones of successful and sustainable efforts to combat human trafficking. She noted that human traffickers are exploiting the resources available in the Maldives, as many individuals want to keep Immigration laws loose to keep the border open for the country's tourism-based economy. She said that it enables human traffickers to use the Maldives as a transit point.
As such, Minister Mariya stressed the importance of improving coordination between state agencies to address such issues and resolve the human trafficking issue through the law. She added that a place to provide protection and care for victims of human trafficking should be established in the future. She expressed hope that the workshop will help reduce and prevent human trafficking cases.
The main objective of the workshop was to raise awareness about human trafficking and to identify and help victims of human trafficking. The workshop was also held to discuss ways to improve anti-human trafficking efforts.