15 people imprisoned for human trafficking

The government has approved a national program to combat human trafficking and reports that a total of 69 people have been found guilty of being involved in human trafficking, with 15 sentenced to prison terms for eight human trafficking cases, and another 54 people found guilty of organizing and coercing people into 36 cases involving prostitution.

Every year, the general directions of the anti-human trafficking programs guided by the Law on Combating Human Trafficking will be reviewed, and its activities will be funded by state and local revenue and financing from international loans and aid.

Many Mongolians are eager go to abroad to earn more money and to study, but there are people who attempt to profit from selling girls and women. Sometimes people are lured into human trafficking schemes through advertisements that claim an agent can help people marry a foreigner, find a job overseas, or study abroad. Officials believe these crimes are likely to increase.

According to statistics from the past six years, officials have investigated 54 reports of human trafficking, and 122 cases of organized prostitution.

Many Mongolians are said to lack knowledge about the legal system, which is how so many people become victims of organized drug and human trafficking crimes. The government says the anti-human trafficking program is dedicated to fighting crime and protecting Mongolian citizens, and strengthening the Law on Combating Human Trafficking.