| Project Detail |
Rising poverty and unemployment in Central Asia has increasingly led laborers in the region to migrate in search of work. Unfortunately, migration often leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation. The five-year Safe Migration in Central Asia activity aims to strengthen the mutual accountability of governments, NGOs and the private sector in efforts to prevent trafficking in persons, protect survivors of human trafficking, and promote safe migration. Note: SMICA has revised the project strategy and will not continue implementing in Tajikistan. We will advise if this status changes. USAID’s Safe Migration in Central Asia (SMICA) activity strives to prevent trafficking in persons (TIP), protect survivors, and promote safe migration. It uses evidence-based practices and cross-border connections to strengthen the accountability and effectiveness of governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector as part of USAID’s Asia-wide assemblage of counter-trafficking interventions. SMICA is a five-year (2020-2024) activity operating in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Each year, millions of Central Asians leave their homes in search of better job opportunities. Many are at risk of labor and sexual exploitation. These migration outflows, coupled with governments’ raised awareness about migration and human trafficking, present a window of opportunity to create better systems to support migrants, reduce their vulnerability to labor exploitation, and protect trafficking victims. SMICA collaborates with local and international organizations, governments, and civil society organizations to connect and weave individual country approaches into cohesive regional strategies. SMICA strengthens bilateral and multi-country systems to promote rights-based migration and counter trafficking in persons (CTIP) |
