Hanoi Convention - legal framework against fraud and human trafficking online

On the occasion of Vietnam hosting the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime ( Hanoi Convention), Head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) delegation Kendra Rinas shared with Vietnam News Agency reporters about this important event.

- What is the significance of the Hanoi Convention against Cybercrime in the global effort to prevent online fraud, human trafficking and labor exploitation, especially against vulnerable migrant groups?

Ms. Kendra Rinas: The Hanoi Convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument that strengthens our collective defense against cybercrime. It provides States with an important new tool to prevent and combat cybercrime, and to protect individuals online.

Cybercrime is increasingly used to facilitate human trafficking, online fraud and the exploitation of migrants. The Convention is expected to provide a robust legal framework, empowering countries to cooperate more effectively in preventing and prosecuting these crimes, while ensuring that the rights of individuals, particularly migrants, are protected.

- How does IOM assess the relationship between irregular migration and cybercrime? What are the biggest challenges today in protecting migrants from the risk of online fraud and forced labor?

Kendra Rinas: Human trafficking today increasingly operates through closed, organized networks, making it more difficult to detect and disrupt. Technology has become a powerful tool for traffickers, who now recruit victims online, using sophisticated luring tactics that capitalize on people’s desire for better jobs and higher incomes.

This is particularly relevant to the issue of human trafficking for criminal purposes in online scam zones in Southeast Asia – a problem that continues to persist on a daily basis, despite many assuming it has subsided.

According to the IOM Regional Situation Report on Trafficking in Persons for Forced Criminal Activities in Cyber Scam Centers, the number of trafficking victims forced into criminal activities and assisted by IOM in Southeast Asia has more than tripled, from 296 in 2022 to 1,093 so far in 2025.

The IOM study also found that 50% of these victims were high school graduates and the other half were university graduates. They were lured through fake job offers, with many being young, educated individuals tricked into carrying out online fraud for criminal networks.

Traffickers are also turning to vulnerable populations, as public awareness of the issue grows. We are seeing alarming trends, such as the rise of organ trafficking, due to the gap between high demand and limited supply, and the trafficking of fetuses.

These criminals exploit loopholes in the legal framework and the desperation of individuals looking for a better life.

Ultimately, traffickers are adapting rapidly, operating across borders and bypassing traditional face-to-face interactions. Raising public awareness remains key to combating these evolving tactics.

- Can you share any outstanding initiatives or programs of IOM in Vietnam to raise awareness among young people, helping them identify and prevent risks of illegal migration and human trafficking in the context of rapidly developing digital technology ?

Ms. Kendra Rinas: At IOM Vietnam, we have adopted a 4P approach to addressing human trafficking. First, it is prevention efforts, from raising awareness of the risks of human trafficking and irregular migration, to supporting skills development and employment opportunities relevant to the local market, so that people do not feel that migration is the only option.

Next, IOM protection assistance is provided to those in vulnerable situations and at risk of being trafficked, while reintegration assistance is provided to survivors who have returned to Vietnam, to help them rebuild their lives in their home communities.

Since 2018, through the UK Government -funded "Tackling Trafficking in Persons and Modern Slavery" (TMSV) project, IOM has provided reintegration support to 904 survivors, including victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants, who have returned to Vietnam, to help them rebuild their lives in Vietnam.

Additionally, in 2023, IOM provided timely assistance to 121 Vietnamese nationals returning from online scam zones in Cambodia and Myanmar, in coordination with relevant local authorities and NGO partners, contributing to the Government of Vietnam’s efforts to address the rapidly expanding trafficking in persons (TIP) crisis in the country and the region.

In its role as Chair of the National Anti-Trafficking Network of Vietnam, IOM convenes multi-stakeholder dialogues and promotes a coordinated approach, working closely with civil society organizations, embassies, UN and international agencies, and most importantly the Government of Vietnam, to advocate for improved anti-trafficking and migration governance policies.

IOM advocates for legal reform and focuses on the protection and assistance of migrants, including survivors of trafficking, to promote criminal accountability for smugglers and traffickers; by strengthening protection mechanisms for vulnerable migrants, training partners responsible for legal action against smugglers and traffickers to promote accountability for criminal conduct.

In particular, through the "Think Before You Go" campaign in Vietnam and the "ThinkB4UClick" initiative (Recognize the signs - Safety in the digital environment), IOM continues to raise public awareness about the complex risks of irregular migration and human trafficking, digital skills and online safety.

- Many thanks to the Head of Mission International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kendra Rinas!

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cong-uoc-ha-noi-khuon-kho-phap-ly-chong-lua-dao-mua-ban-nguoi-qua-mang-post1072985.vnp