Human trafficking, like migration, is a highly complex issue. It requires not only the resources but also the right data to address its underlying root causes and impact. Understanding human trafficking better involves taking stock of the community’s attitudes, perceptions, and perspectives – particularly those who are directly affected, including children.

Parents leaving for work abroad can have an impact on their children. In migrant-sending countries, children often remain in the country with either only one parent, or in the care of relatives. This phenomenon is often linked to children and young adolescents’ altered norms and perceptions of ‘family’; or anxiety and difficulty in coping with social pressures that, in turn, affect the social fabric of families and communities.

On November 6, 2024, Cabo Verde marked a milestone in its commitment to combating human trafficking with the National Observatory Against Trafficking in Persons, inaugurated by the Minister of Justice and supported by the OBSERVE-CV Project. With the establishment of the Observatory, the 2023 - 2026 action plan on proactive measures to prevent trafficking, support survivors, and strengthen institutional responses will be implemented.

EU Member States¹ and partner countries² have agreed on a Joint Declaration outlining six key priorities for 2025-2030, including expanding legal pathways, tackling irregular migration, enhancing international protection, prevention of racism and discrimination, and stronger support for integration.

The upcoming online Moving the Migration Policy Agenda Forward (MMPAF) programme in spring 2025 has an open call for scholarship applicants. This initiative is funded by the European Union (EU) through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and implemented by UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University. Applications are open until 20 November 2024.

Following the Rules for the Appointment of the Director General of ICMPD, we are opening a call for candidates for the position of Director General (DG) as the current DG’s second term concludes in 2025. This recruitment process, conducted every five years, adheres strictly to the selection procedures set forth in the aforementioned rules. Each Director General serves a five-year term with the possibility for reappointment.