Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
In simple words, it happens when a person is tricked, trapped or coerced into being exploited for another person’s private gain or profit. The intention is to exploit the individual concerned that underpins this crime and which distinguishes it from other forms of criminal acts, including the smuggling of migrants. The crime of trafficking in persons is prohibited in international law and criminalized by the national legislation of Iran.
This crime can take various forms, such as:
- sexual exploitation
- forced labor
- domestic servitude
- slavery or similar practices
- gender-based violence
- forced begging or criminality.
How can you keep yourself and your family safe?
There are many that will want to help you, but not everyone is who they say there are. There are persons who want to take advantage of your situation.
For example, they may promise you accommodation, transport, or free food, and use this as a way to pressure you into sexual acts, work or services you do not agree with. Or they may want to harm you or take your belongings.
There are signs you can look for to keep yourself and your family safe. For example, be alert if someone:
- is asking for your passport or other identification documents (apart from public authorities, for example at border check points);
- is asking for your phone, laptop or other means of communication;
- wants to remove you from your family or others you are travelling with;
- is offering you a job that sounds too good to be true;
- is pressuring you to perform work, services or sex (including to repay ‘debts’);
- is offering you assistance – such as food – only if you carry out certain ‘services’;
- is promising to help you get registered, relocated or resettled to another country against payment (except for regular transportation fees);
- is hiring you but not paying you, or paying only part of what was promised;
- is hiring you, but not giving you decent working conditions or limiting your movement, for example by taking your documents or locking the door.
What steps can you take to stay safe?
- Be alert and follow your own intuition about people you don’t know.
- Be cautious of fraudulent acts. For more info on fraud, please visit this Link on UNHCR Help Page
- Always hold onto your documents. Take copies of them on your phone and send them to someone you trust.
- Keep in touch with your family and other people you trust.
- Know your rights and where you can get help.
- Seek reliable information from trusted sources.
If you are looking for a place to stay:
- Use organized accommodation by known organizations, if possible.
- If using an online service provider, make sure to select hosts that have a positive rating and look at the reviews on the page.
- If you stay with private individuals, try to ask around about the person first. Don’t accept to be removed from your family or those you arrived with, and don’t give away your documents.
- Ask if anything is expected of you in return and always agree on a price beforehand.
How UNHCR is helping victims of human trafficking:
UNHCR is globally mandated to provide international protection to refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, returnees and internally displaced persons. You can seek help confidentially by contacting UNHCR offices. To see the contact information of each office, please click here.
For more information on the services that UNHCR provides, please click here.