Kendra Rinas, Chief of Mission at IOM Việt Nam, speaks at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Việt Nam hosted an event in Hà Nội on Tuesday to honour youth-led initiatives aimed at advancing safe migration and curbing human trafficking.

As part of the UK Home Office-funded project “Tackling Modern Slavery in Việt Nam” (TMSV), the event drew over 200 delegates, including those from the UK Embassy, the Việt Nam Women’s Union, the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, the private sector, social organisations, youth leaders, and media outlets.

Kendra Rinas, IOM Việt Nam Chief of Mission, said when equipped with the right skills, resources, and an open environment, young people can deliver practical solutions that strengthen resilience and mitigate vulnerabilities within their own communities.

Charles Han, Head of Immigration and Migration at the UK Embassy in Hà Nội, reaffirmed the UK Government’s commitment to partnering with the Vietnamese Government and partners to tackle illegal migration and combat human trafficking. According to him, the TMSV project has assisted Việt Nam in bolstering policy frameworks, enhancing capacity, and rolling out communication and prevention activities.

The event served as the capstone for the third season of IOM Việt Nam's “Youth-led Initiatives on Safe Migration and Human Trafficking Prevention” contest, which centres the youth in anti-trafficking efforts by enhancing their capacity to design, test, and scale solutions that address the root causes of unsafe migration and trafficking.

Over three seasons, it attracted 2,720 entries from 905 youth groups across 34 cities and provinces nationwide, reflecting strong interest and commitment among Vietnamese youth to raise awareness of unsafe migration risks, combat human trafficking and support community-based prevention efforts.

From these entries, 212 participants attended intensive training courses on safe migration, human trafficking prevention, communication strategy formulation, business and entrepreneurship. These sessions equipped them with skills to translate knowledge into tangible actions and spearhead local anti-trafficking campaigns.

In total, 100 youth-led initiatives were submitted, with 31 selected for technical assistance and funding to bring their ideas to life and reach communities nationwide, especially in Hải Phòng, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, and Quảng Trị. Supported initiatives included youth-led models fostering local job creation, community development, and peer-to-peer outreach to raise awareness of online recruitment risks, misinformation, and deceptive job offers that often lead to trafficking.

Complementing the main event, an exhibition and interactive zone displayed youth-led initiatives, while pitching sessions allowed teams to present their ideas to a panel of experts from the private sector and startup communities. Three top-performing initiatives were honoured for their clear impact and scalability, receiving additional seed capital to expand operations.

According to the IOM’s report on trafficking into online scam compounds across Southeast Asia, the number of victims assisted by the IOM in the region more than tripled, from 296 cases in 2022 to 1,093 in 2025. — VNA/VNS