Duration of project: 1st August 2021 – 28 February 2022
Objective: To examine, detect, and understand the criminal activities of smuggling and trafficking across the UN-controlled buffer zone, and increase awareness as to how lives and interests are endangered by various illegal activities.
ICLAIM joined a new project with the School of Law of UCLan Cyprus and Step Up, Stop Slavery on smuggling and human trafficking across the Green Line in Cyprus, with the support of the British High Commission in Nicosia.
The project aimed to enhance the sustainability of the island at an intercommunal, national and international setting by increasing awareness as to how lives and interests at stake are endangered by various illegal activities, particularly smuggling of illicit goods, smuggling of persons and human trafficking. An ancillary objective of the project is to enhance the ethical literacy, performance effectiveness of NGO members, law enforcement, legal and justice sectors who engage in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal activities across the Green Line. It is thus a capacity building research project, that aims at both educating and spreading awareness, from frontline workers to law makers, law enforcement agencies and other experts as well as students, young people and the general public, through a two-way transfer of knowledge.
The project’s objectives were completed through a launch event on prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution for smuggling and trafficking of persons across the Green Line. The event brought together various stakeholders, inviting them to provide a sustainable framework for outreach and dissemination. This even was followed by the delivery of seminars by experts who shared their insights and knowledge on human trafficking and economic crime through smuggling, as well as ways in which such criminal activities can be combatted. The drew from best practices from other countries and suggested ways forward in the Cypriot context. The project covered the whole of Cyprus, across the Green Line.
Seminars delivered:
‘Policing across the Green Line’ - Dr Nasia Hadjigeorgiou, Assistant Professor in Transitional Justice and Human Rights, Deputy Head, School of Law, UCLan Cyprus and ICLAIM Resident Expert
‘Smuggling of Persons and Goods across the Green Line: A prevailing phenomenon’ – Ms. Andrea Manoli, Lecturer in Foundations of English and Cypriot Law, School of Law, UCLan Cyprus, SHT Project Coordinator and ICLAIM Researcher (up to January 2022)
‘Combatting Human Trafficking in Cyprus: Law and Practice’ – Dr Demetra Loizou, Lecturer in International Criminal Law, School of Law, UCLan Cyprus and ICLAIM Resident Expert, and Ms Fezile Osum, Research Scholar, School of Law, UCLan Cyprus and ICLAIM Researcher
They were followed by a focus group and a brainstorming session chaired by Prof. Stéphanie Laulhé Shaelou, Professor of European Law and Reform and Head, School of Law, UCLan Cyprus and ICLAIM Founder.
Training sessions delivered:
Webinar: ‘Human Trafficking and the Buffer Zone in Cyprus’.
CPD Online Training: ‘Strategic Litigation in the field of Human Trafficking’.
Webinar: ‘Mapping Human Smuggling and Trafficking across the Green Line’.
Webinar: ‘The Green Line Regulation and Smuggling of Illicit Goods’.
CPD Online Training: ‘Becoming Trauma Informed Professionals’
The project also produced a number of written research papers, which are available as freely-accessible online resources in English, Greek and Turkish:
- The Handbook of Good Practices and Methods of Investigation to Access and Tackle Criminal Activities and Economic Crimes across the Green Line
- The Report on Smuggling and Trafficking of Persons Across the Green Line
Outputs in all three languages are available here.
Supporter: British High Commission in Nicosia
Project website: https://htsproject.uclancyprus.ac.cy/
The project website serves also as a Digital Platform where academics and other stakeholders can share their research/blog posts to create an ongoing network that aims to offer practical guidance for law and order professionals, other frontline workers and young people in line with Cypriot, EU, UN and other policies/frameworks.
ICLAIM Experts participating in the project: Prof. Stephanie Laulhe Shaelou, Dr. Athanasia Hadjigeorgiou, Dr. Demetra Loizou, Dr. Katerina Kalaitzaki, Ms Andrea Manoli, Ms Fezile Osum
For more information contact us at: info@iclaimcentre.org.