FY2006 ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) PROJECTS FOR

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000165

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID

STATE FOR G/TIP (AMY O'NEILL, SALLY NEUMANN),INL, NEA/RA,
NEA/MAG, DRL/BA, DRL/IL, AND PRM (SONIA DENTZEL)

GENEVA FOR LABATT

LABOR FOR ILAB HALEY, MUIRRAGUI, STEIN, AND FAULKNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM EAID ELAB KCRM KWMN SMIG ASEC MO
SUBJECT: FY2006 ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) PROJECTS FOR
MOROCCO

REFS: (A) 05 STATE 0221179


1. Mission Morocco welcomes the Department's continued interest
in supporting Moroccan efforts to stem trafficking in persons,
treat its victims, and punish its perpetrators. The mission is
very appreciative of Department's recent decision to earmark USD
183,344 in support of two anti-trafficking projects aimed at
combating the trafficking of children into domestic servitude in
Morocco.


2. Post would like to take advantage of the opportunity, as
presented in ref A, to submit a new project proposal, which is
designed to aid Moroccan minors at-risk of being trafficked
abroad. This proposal entails underwriting efforts offered by
International Organization for Migration (IOM),the Moroccan
Ministry of Social Development, Family, and Solidarity (MSFSF) -
Entraide Nationale, as well as local authorities and associations
and NGOs active in the field of child protection in Morocco. In
recent months the incidences of minors being smuggled and/or
trafficked out of Morocco to EU countries has increased
dramatically. Post strongly supports this project as a first step
in addressing this growing problem.


A. Title: SALEM: Solidarite Avec Les Enfants du Moroc -
Solidarity With the Children of Morocco


B. Organization: The proposal is being submitted by the IOM who
will implement the project. The IOM currently has a number of
projects underway in Morocco and has recently been granted the
right to have official representation in the country. Other
partners include the MDSFS - Entraide Nationale (Public
Establishment for the Fight Against Poverty),an organization
established in 1957 as a private enterprise which later switched
to a financially independent public establishment, and various
NGOs and associations active in the protection of children.


C. Duration: Eight months - new project.


D. Description: General Information and Summary: The SALEM
project aims to strengthen the local child protection system and
services in Morocco in order to reduce the exposure of at-risk
minors to trafficking, irregular migration,and exploitation, as
well as examine the health-related aspects. According to recently
acquired data on the phenomenon, thousands of Moroccan minors are
trafficked to Western European countries, particularly Spain,
France and Italy. According to data provided by the National
Committee for Foreign Minors, 20% of Italy's unaccompanied minors
are from Morocco. In addition, due to its geographical position,
Morocco is of increasing interest to criminal networks involved in
trafficking of persons from the Sub-Saharan region. In this
context, in order to set up preventative mechanisms, it is
necessary to acquire a deep understanding of the phenomenon
through research activities. This preliminary and essential
research phase, for which IOM will request the financial support
of the GTIP/Department of State fund, will be part of a larger
joint program with the Italian Government containing a series of
activities aimed at preventing the traffickingof minors in the
Moroccan Region of Beni Mellal. By supporting educational,
professional training, sheltering, listening and orientation
services for minors, the project intends to create realistic
alternatives for those marginalized families who perceive
migration for their children as the only possible way for a better
future . The project will require close cooperation with central
and local governmental and non-governmental interlocutors involved
in child protection and assistance in Morocco. The SALEM
initiative, with the support of both the US and the Italian
Governments, will be an essential component of the IOM strategy in
the country. Morocco has been a member of IOM since 23 November

1998. The Organization has already carried out various activities
in close cooperation with the Moroccan government which led to the
creation of an Observatory of the Moroccan Community Abroad and of
the Centre for Migrants' Rights. Currently, IOM is creating a
multifunctional center in Ttouan as a Pilot Project for the socio-
economic development of a region with high migratory potential in
Morocco.

Project Objectives: This project intends to contribute to the
creation of integrated responses to prevent irregular migration,
trafficking, and exploitation of unaccompanied minors. In

particular, the project will aim to:


-Improve information concerning irregular migration and
trafficking of minors from/through/to Morocco.

-Identify key areas of further intervention to reduce the exposure
of Moroccan minors to the risks of trafficking.

-Reinforce the networking and operational capacities of local
agencies, institutions, governments, associations/NGOs active in
the field of child protection.

Target Beneficiaries: Minors at risk of becoming involved in
trafficking and their families, as well as previously-trafficked
minors in ad hoc structures currently in other countries; national
and local government institutions and NGOs active in child and
adolescent protection in Morocco. The project is expected to
positively affect approximately 15,000 to 20,000 minors.

Project Activities: SALEM will be comprised of different project
components, including rehabilitation of structures for minors'
care, shelter, education and vocational/professional training
support, as well as strengthening local services through training
of social and health care-givers. The intervention will be
prepared through research activities to acquire a deeper knowledge
of the phenomenon in order to better target activities, priority
geographical areas and needs, local counterparts, specific
vulnerability factors, and will be consolidated through a
specifically- tailored information campaign.

Department of State assistance is requested to support the
research actions and to contribute, together with the Italian
Cooperation, to the training of social and health caregivers
involved in the preventative measures and outreach/assistance
activities to the target group.


1. Research on the phenomenon of irregular migration and
trafficking in minors from/through/to Morocco.

- Elaboration of questionnaires;

- Conducting interviews with different target groups and in
particular: Moroccan at-risk minors; Moroccan unaccompanied minors
abroad, particularly in Italy, France and Spain which are the main
destination countries of Moroccan minors' trafficking routes; non-
Moroccan minors trafficked to Morocco; local and central
authorities in Morocco as well as NGOs/associations active in the
field of child protection and migration. The combination of
different perspectives should support a better qualitative and
quantitative knowledge of the phenomenon;

- Production of a research study;

- Translation of the research study in English, French and Arabic;

- Presentation of the research study at a Workshop in Rabat,
involving national local and central governmental and non-
governmental actors;

- Distribution of the research study among local, national and
international counterparts;

- Organization of meetings in identified local areas for the
presentation of research outcomes.


2. Local capacity-building activities with an immediate impact on
the target group:

- Three psycho-social and health care four-day training for
personnel with an immediate impact on the target group (shelter
staff, social workers, NGO staff, health care workers, educators
and school teachers). Special attention will be paid toward the
training of trainers, in order to build capacity and potential for
sustainability at all levels. Each training course will target no
less than 20 participants;

- Support to governmental decentralization and local good
governance, social services management and child and juvenile

protection with the aim of providing local authorities with
operational tools to contain the root causes at the base of the
phenomena of illegal migration and trafficking in minors.

Expected Results: A deeper understanding of the phenomena of
minors trafficking from/to/through Morocco;

- A research book printed and translated into English, French and
Arabic, for a total of 900 copies as a whole (300 in each
language);

- The increased level of information and awareness on the dynamics
and risks inherent to trafficking and irregular migration;

- Prevention strategies with respect to the phenomena of irregular
migration/trafficking of minors identified and elaborated;

- Coordination at local levels to improve child protective
services;

- Identify relevant areas of further intervention (structural,
capacity-building, technical cooperation, information/awareness,
etc.);

- Strengthened capacities of caregivers of local minors' care-
givers;

- Protection and assistance measures improved through the
provision of assisted return, psycho-social rehabilitation and
familial, scholastic, educational and labor reinsertion services;

- Improved living conditions of at-risk minors
- Detailed findings in mid-term and final reports.


E. Justification: The SALEM project strategy aims to reduce the
exposure of minors to a situation of vulnerability with respect to
the phenomena of smuggling, trafficking and the worst forms of
exploitation (sexual, for labor, for begging, for illicit
activities, etc.) that are linked to them along with the
protection principles set in the most important international
instruments for child protection (NY Convention, ILO Convention n.
182, UNICEF Guidelines, UN Protocols on trafficking and
smuggling). The project seeks to address the worrisome conditions
at the origin of these phenomena: abandonment, abuse, and
marginalization of vulnerable segments of the Moroccan youth
population. The combination of different factors, economic,
social, cultural, together with the restrictive emigration
policies for the adult population towards countries of
destination, often pushes marginalized and poor families to
entrust their children to criminal networks in order to have
access to the Western European countries with the hope to give
them a better chance for the future. The link between migratory
flows and socio-economic factors is also confirmed by the
prevalence, among trafficked minors, of adolescents between 15 and
17 years of age, in search of a working opportunity and durable
insertion chances. Additionally, Morocco has been increasingly
targeted by criminal networks engaged in smuggling/trafficking in
persons from the Sub-Saharan region. In this respect, according to
IOM data, minors are trafficked to Morocco particularly from the
Francophone Western African countries.

The SALEM initiative will focus on prevention measures,
particularly in the creation and enhancement of economic, social,
pedagogical, psychological and educational opportunities to
support substantial alternatives to the migratory project. At the
same time, the reinforcement of locally available resources, both
structural and human, to create dedicated areas for
shelter/orientation/vocational-professional training and psycho-
social support, as well as networks of social programs to benefit
the entire minor population, including non-Moroccan minors
trafficked from Sub-Saharan regions and Moroccan unaccompanied
minors returning from Western European countries. The improved
capabilities and opportunities serve to prevent exploitation, as
well as assist in targeting at-risk minors and de facto victims of
trafficking/smuggling.

All intervention will be designed using knowledge of minors'
trafficking from research. Such research activities will require
a close collaboration with local authorities as well as NGOs and

other associations. This initiative will be included in the
national strategy of the Moroccan Government in the fields of
child protection, socio-economic development and reduction of
social exclusion, in the framework of the recently launched INDH
(Initiative Nationale pour le Dveloppement Humain - National
Initiative for Human Development),as well as in the field of
combating illegal migration. The project will also be strongly
supported by the Italian Government, particularly in the areas
related to structural rehabilitation and training socio-sanitary
caregivers. This measure is an important part of the IOM strategy
in the Maghreb. This strategy promoted actions in migratory
issues that led to the founding in 2000 of the Observers of the
Moroccan Community Abroad with the Hassan II Foundation, and in
2002 of the Centre for Migrants' Rights. Currently, IOM is
supporting the creation of a poly-functional centre in Ttouan in
the framework of a pilot project for the socio-economic
development of a region with high migratory potential in Morocco.


F. Performance Indicators: The research will focus on
quantitative and qualitative aspects of trafficking and irregular
migration of unaccompanied minors from/to/through Morocco. It
will be further studied through interviews with different target
groups (local stakeholders),as well as the minors themselves.
The following indicators will help measure the impact of the
research phase for quantitative purposes.

- A rapid-assessment survey will determine the actual level of
awareness of trafficking among local stakeholders (national and
local authorities, NGOs, social services, families, etc.). A post-
project survey (after 12 months) will show the level of
improvement in knowledge of trafficking among these key groups.
It is estimated that their knowledge will improve by at least 40%.

- Current data indicates that Beni Mellal and Tangier are first
among priority geographic areas. The research outcomes will
confirm and/or modify the identification of priority geographic
areas in need of further intervention. Such identification,
together with the other quantitative and qualitative data (numbers
of minors, specific target group risk factors, local institutions
of reference and operational partners, etc.) will allow the
development of an articulated Plan of Action for implementation of
other project components, in coordination with the Italian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs experts and the IOM Missions involved
in the project;

- No less than 60 local care-givers will be trained to improve
their ability to respond to the needs of target groups (minors'
potential or de facto victims of trafficking). Improvement of
capability will be measured with post-training questionnaires,
with an expected improvement rate of 60%.


G. Evaluation Plan: The IOM Mission in Rome, in its role as
coordinator of the project and Regional Office for the
Mediterranean, guarantees regularly monitoring development of the
project, will signal any possible problematic areas and consult
with the donor on appropriate measures. Evaluation and monitoring
of the project's progress will be carried out according to the
Organization's internal parameters. The donor may choose to
evaluate the implementation and management of the project at any
time, as desired. More in-depth evaluation processes may be
conducted by external, well-known agencies of long-term and
specific competence.


H. Budget:

- Consultant-researcher for 8 months: 43,000

- Translation and printing of the research book in 900 copies:
40,000

- Workshop in Rabat: 30,000

- Dissemination of research outcomes and research book
distribution: 15,000

- Three four-day training courses in target areas: 15,000

- Mobility, logistics, transportation (pre-assessment, monitoring
and evaluation missions, internal-external research trips): 30,000


- Project management and coordination: 45,500

- Overhead 5 percent: 11,500

Total in USD: 230,000


I. Host Government Contribution: With the ongoing, fruitful
collaboration with IOM, the Moroccan Ministry of Social
Development, Family and Solidarity (Ministre du Dveloppement
Social, de la Famille et de la Solidarit MDSFS - Entraide
Nationale) will provide all the necessary administrative support
and institutional collaboration require to conduct research and
operational activities for this project. Local researchers will
be identified in close cooperation with local partners and
nd
counterparts, and will participate in the activities detailed
here. Local authorities will also contribute to the dissemination
of the research outcomes through the organization of public
meetings. Local Moroccan authorities will support all possible
opportunities to raise awareness of irregular migration and
trafficking of minors from/through/to Morocco.


J. Funding: ESF Funding through IOM


K. Mission Morocco POC: Labor/Political Officer Amy Wilson, U.S.
Consulate General Casablanca, tel. 212-22-22-14-60 ext.235: fax.
212-22-29-91-36


L. Other Donors: The "SALEM" project has been presented to the
Italian Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The components
to be financed by the Italian Government will entail the
rehabilitation of existing local structures in identified areas of
Morocco with a strong migratory prevalence towards Italy to devote
assistance, protection, educational, psychosocial support and
vocational training support to the target group. Such measures
will require training for social workers and health-care providers
working to assist and protect abandoned minors and victims of
trafficking and smuggling, with particular attention toward the
training of trainers, in order to build capacity and potential for
sustainability at all levels. The program will be consolidated
through a specifically tailored information campaign.

Greene