Nearly 6 children out of 100 are exploited in Vietnam and their identification and care are deficient. This is why Planète Enfants & Développement is launching a new project with its local partners to protect trafficked children and accompany them towards their reintegration.
The phenomenon of child trafficking is largely underestimated in Vietnam. According to the organization Coram International, nearly 1.5 million children are exploited. Yet, Vietnam only recorded 480 victims in 2018. Local authorities focus on international trafficking, while 92 % of victims remain in the country.
Coram International also estimates that fewer than 1 in 10 trafficked children receive support. Here again, several reasons can be given. A large part of the victims are excluded from the care mechanisms: migrants, children exploited by their families, children between 16 and 18 years old. And for fear of being singled out, victims rarely ask for help.
Finally, when children are lucky enough to be identified, the support they are offered rarely allows them to recover and reintegrate into their families or society.
Faced with this unacceptable situation, we decided to support 500 children in 3 homes for vulnerable children in Central and Southern Vietnam (in Ho Chi Minh City and Phan Thiet).
We will first conduct a survey within these 3 homes to evaluate the number of children who are victims of trafficking. Once identified, we will offer them a personalized and multidisciplinary follow-up. We plan to train the staff of our partners and to develop procedures to define all the necessary steps to support the victims, from the first care to the post-reintegration follow-up. In this way, the children will benefit from quality follow-up and will be able to receive medical care, psychological assistance and legal support.
