Recognizing youth-led initiatives that promote safe migration and prevent human trafficking
WVR - On February 7, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Vietnam convened Harvesting Day, recognizing youth-led initiatives that promote safe migration and prevent human trafficking.
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| The Harvesting Day demonstrates the critical role that young people play in advancing safe migration and preventing human trafficking. (Source: IOM) |
The event was held under the UK Home Office-funded Tackling Modern Slavery in Vietnam (TMSV) project.
Organized at the Green One UN House in Ha Noi, the event brought together more than 200 participants, including representatives of the UK Embassy, Women’s Union, Youth Union, the private sector, civil society, youth leaders and the media.
Harvesting Day marked the culmination of the third season of IOM Viet Nam’s youth-led initiatives programme, which positions young people as active agents of prevention by strengthening their capacity to design, test and scale solutions that address the drivers of irregular migration and trafficking in persons.
Over three seasons, the initiative attracted 2,720 registrations from 905 youth teams in 34 provinces and cities nationwide demonstrating strong youth interest and commitment to raising awareness about the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking and contributing to community‑based prevention efforts.
From this pool, 212 young people received intensive training on safe migration, human trafficking prevention, strategic communication, business development, and entrepreneurship, strengthening their skills to translate knowledge into action and lead local prevention efforts.
In total, 100 youth-led initiatives were developed and submitted. Of these, 31 initiatives received targeted technical and financial support to move from concept to implementation, reaching communities across Vietnam with a strong focus on Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri. Supported initiatives include youth-led initiatives that promote job creation, community development and peer-to-peer awareness-raising campaigns addressing online recruitment risks, misinformation, and deceptive job offers linked to trafficking.
Chief of Mission at IOM Vietnam Kendra Rinas stated that the Harvesting Day demonstrates the critical role that young people play in advancing safe migration and preventing human trafficking.
“When youth are equipped with the right skills, resources and platforms, they can deliver practical solutions that strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerabilities at the community level", she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Charles Han, International Liaison Manager, Head of Home Office, International Operations, British Embassy Hanoi emphasized: "The UK Government is firmly committed to working with the Government of Vietnam and all relevant stakeholders to address illegal migration and combat human trafficking. The TMSV project has supported Vietnam in strengthening policy frameworks, building capacity, and implementing communication and prevention activities. With the recent elevation of the UK- Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, our collective efforts must continue to evolve and grow stronger."
According to Mr Charles Han, the active participation of young people, who bring forward outstanding initiatives, demonstrates their empowerment as future leaders and fosters innovation in developing sustainable solutions.
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| The event 'Harvesting Day' on February 7, in Hanoi. (Source: IOM) |
The event showcased interactive exhibitions from youth-led initiatives and included a pitching session where selected teams presented their ideas to a panel of experts from the private sector and startup ecosystem. Three initiatives were recognized for their strong impact and growth potential, receiving additional seed funding to help scale their solutions.
Youth-led prevention efforts are increasingly important as trafficking patterns in the Asia and the Pacific region continue to evolve. IOM data shows that trafficking in persons has become more organized, transnational and digitally enabled, with a growing number of victims recruited through online job scams and fraudulent employment offers. Many of those affected are young and educated, underscoring the need for prevention approaches that combine awareness-raising with skills development and livelihood creation.
“Following the Harvesting Day, the “Bạc HÔME” initiative is oriented toward developing into a scalable cultural livelihood model. The project aims to help practitioners achieve more stable incomes from their own craft, thereby contributing to the reduction of irregular migration.” The youth- led initiative was voted the audience’s favourite at the event, as shared by the young members of the Bạc HÔME youth team.
