Simulation-Based Training Exercises to Combat Human Trafficking. A Practical Handbook

In 2016, the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB) launched the project “Combating Human Trafficking along Migration Routes”. The project sought to develop a training exercise that would improve the investigation and prosecution of cases and enhance the identification and protection of victims, particularly those along migration routes. The result was a groundbreaking training programme with three distinctive features: The exercises use live actors to create simulations of real cases that are explored over the course of a week by first-line practitioners. The training format is built around a multidisciplinary approach that brings together practitioners from a variety of fields—including prosecutors, law enforcement, social services, NGOs, and financial investigators—to train in close collaboration. The exercises include trainees from multiple countries, incorporating cultural differences and cross-border challenges into the storylines. These features put a strong emphasis on the human interaction that is so fundamental to this field of work; it is this human interaction that helps develop strong professional networks among the participants—across disciplines and borders