A majority of Cambodian and Filipino survivors of human trafficking into online scam operations and forced marriages are women aged between 28 and 43 years of age, a study by World Hope International (WHI) showed, where six out of 10 Cambodians said they were labor-trafficked across borders. The rest were trafficked for forced marriages.

The report, “Survivor Voices: Cambodian and Filipino Transnational Human Trafficking” which revealed accounts of survivors, including Filipinos, all of whom were lured into scam hubs, was shared in a workshop on trauma-informed care for child survivors of online sexual exploitation and online scam operation.

The workshop aims to address challenges, create a significant impact in the lives of survivors and offer a safe and supportive environment.

WHI country director Emelita Goddard said the report showed survivors’ resilience, calling for improved efforts by highlighting survivor experiences. 

“This research underscores the critical need of trauma informed care and continues support from rescue through repatriation, reintegration and resilience,” she said.

It reveals the complex journey of transnational trafficking survivors and emphasizes that their voices should shape the responses. It highlights the indispensable roles of embassies, law enforcement, transition centers and NGOs in aiding survivors. 

Goddard also noted that the report identifies areas for improvement, such as ensuring clear communication, strengthening survivor-centered policies and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. 

Training on trauma, informed management for caregivers of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSE) amid changing social, economic and political context globally is crucial because transnational human trafficking, online scam and OCSE are on the rise. UNICEF figures indicate that 11% of children in Cambodia are impacted by OCSE.

“Our commitment to preventing these crimes remains strong as we raise awareness among parents, families, schools and communities. We are duty bound to respond to those who call for help,” she said.

Over the next three days of training, WHI aims to equip participants with transferable skills to support families and communities. When families and communities are equipped with healthy communication patterns, positive discipline practices and strengthened cohesion, their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation will be significantly reduced.

British Ambassador to Cambodia Dominic Williams said human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, and online scams are “always disturbing”, “often brutal”, and usually have “devastating consequences on the survivors”. 

Quoting the UN Office of Drugs and Crimes’ Global Trafficking in Persons report published in December last year, he mentioned the growth of human trafficking in recent years, notably in 2022, when a 25% increase was recorded compared to pre-pandemic, as well as a 31 percent growth in the number of child victims. 

“Those are huge, huge increases over a very short period of time. The report said the primary driver of human trafficking remains sexual exploitation, and it being the issue affecting 60% of the girls in cases they documented, and 66% of women. These are devastating figures that show the really terrible impact it has on individuals,” said Williams.

Concerned about the rise in people being trafficked into online scam centers in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Philippines, he felt that the crimes have a profound impact on the people.

“When you think about the social impact, people who suffer from sexual exploitation are deeply traumatized, and they carry that trauma with them for years. It makes it harder for them to reintegrate into society, to resume a productive life,” he added.

It has a devastating impact on societies, particularly when “illegal activities like these generate so much money”. In Cambodia, online scam centers allegedly earn an estimated $12.5 billion a year, Williams said at the workshop.

He expressed delight that the UK is playing a small role to address the issue by supporting the workshop. “It creates a platform for all to share their experiences, to learn from each other, and support Cambodian social workers and caregivers to improve the quality of care and support given to survivors.

“We at the embassy are supporting this project because we’re increasingly concerned about the risks of human trafficking and the impact right across this region. This is genuinely one of the issues that keep me up at night when I think about the actual impact these crimes have on Cambodia today,” he said.

He pointed out that the UK imposed sanctions on individuals from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, who are involved in human trafficking, to try and hold some of them accountable for the crimes.

“We believe they are responsible for these crimes, so we’ve taken efforts in the UK to clamp down on illicit finance, to try and stop people using the UK as a place where they can benefit from the proceeds of crime,” Williams said.

Vice president of Cambodia’s National Committee for Counter-Trafficking Person Chou Bun Eng, spoke about illicit scam operations being rampant along the borders due to syndicates’ networks remaining in communication.

“When we crack down on one place, another site appears. Are we sure that raiding one place can make it disappear if people continue to communicate through online networks? Crime will never completely disappear,”  she said at the WHI workshop.

Bun Eng said the identification process is sometimes not entirely accurate because the answers they receive are “not clear or true”. Additionally, “perpetrators can pose as victims”, and some “victims may have a history of criminal activity”, making the situation very complex.

“I would like to state that Cambodia is progressing at a slower pace because we are working on the fact that it only recently started to impact the country,” Bun Eng said.

“We observed that the scale of this crime is not small, nor is it only confined to Cambodia—it exists across the region and countries worldwide,” she added.

On March 6, National Police raided a hotel in Mondulkiri province and arrested over 250 people in connection with an online scam operation.

Meanwhile, Bun Eng welcomed Filipino experts to share their experience regarding victimization and assistance from organizational networks.

“We should not wait for individuals to experience psychological trauma or fall victim. We must all be proactive from the beginning,” she said, pointing out strategies to combat human trafficking, crackdown, rescue victims and prevent further crimes.

“We provide protection to victims, and are working diligently to research and discuss matters relating to victim identification,” Bun Eng said.

You Sopheak, director of the Victim Assistance Department under the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, said victims are being actively assisted.

“We see that victims of abuse and exploitation often flee to another place. We have made efforts to provide support to all victims,” he said, adding that the ministry does not have the exact figure of victims who have received assistance.

“However, the ministry ensures that no victim is left unattended. We make sure they receive care, shelter or counseling,” he said.