IOM has had some 13 years of experience in implementing counter-traffick- ing activities and has provided assistance to over 14,000 victims of traf- ficking in all regions of the world. With a growing number of organizations, especially local NGOs, now providing or intending to provide assistance to victims of trafficking, IOM would like to share its experience and lessons learned. This Handbook summarizes and systematizes this experience.

IOM recognizes that each victim is unique and requires and desires dif- ferent assistance. As well, the nature of trafficking is different around the world and is ever evolving, requiring changing responses. Therefore this Handbook is not meant to provide a single methodology for the provision of assistance to victims of trafficking, but to offer suggestions and guidance, based on IOM’s many years of experience. IOM hopes that it will be help- ful to all organizations providing such assistance to victims, but especially for organizations who are just beginning to develop victim assistance pro- grammes and can benefit from IOM’s experiences.

This Handbook provides guidance and advice necessary to effectively deliv- er a full range of assistance to victims of trafficking from the point of initial contact and screening up to the effective social reintegration of the indi- viduals concerned. Although the Handbook covers assistance to minors, it does not do so in the depth necessary for the concerned practitioner who should be sure to also refer to UNICEF’s Guidelines on the Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking.