Consultant - Develop Regional Situation Reports on Trafficking in Persons in ASEAN

Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

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Project Context and Scope

In South East Asia, migrant workers - including many in the fisheries sector - continue to face heightened protection risks, such as exploitative labour conditions, limited access to grievance mechanisms and barriers to accessing protection services. Regional initiatives, including ASEAN-level dialogues and the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia Programme, have sought to strengthen protections for migrant fishers through improved policy frameworks, enforcement, and cross-border coordination. However, gaps remain in the practical implementation of protection measures, particularly across jurisdictions.

At the same time, the region is witnessing a rise in trafficking in persons for forced criminality, particularly related to online scam operations. Victims are often trafficked across borders and subjected to coercion in scam compounds, creating complex challenges for victim identification, consular assistance, and cross-border referral. Existing referral mechanisms and consular support systems are not always adequately adapted to respond to the specific vulnerabilities and legal complexities associated with such cases.

To strengthen evidence-based programming and policy engagement, the IOM Country Office with Coordinating Functions (COCF) for Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand seeks to commission 2 (two) analytical reports:

• Study report on consular assistance and referral practices in TIP-FC cases related to scam operations, identifying gaps, challenges, and recommendations, drawing on existing regional studies (including ongoing initiatives by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, AICHR) and supplementary desk research.
• A regional situation report on the protection of migrant fishers in ASEAN, informed by a regional consultation workshop held by the ASEAN Commission on the Placement and Protection of Migrant Workers (ACMW) and supplementary desk research.

The overall objective of this consultancy is to generate evidence-based, policy-relevant analysis to strengthen protection frameworks for victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants in fisheries sectors and scam-related operations in ASEAN, by identifying current practices, gaps, and action recommendations to improve coordination, response mechanisms, and victim support.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

The consultancy will contribute to IOM’s broader efforts under ongoing programmes, including Enhancing the Capacity of Thailand to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants through Enhanced Border Management, funded by the Government of Canada and Ship to Shore Rights in South East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy, funded by the European Union.