First Steps Toward a Broader, Coordinated Anti-trafficking Effort in Iraq

In November 2025, Mercy Path convened a focused discussion in Baghdad on human trafficking in Iraq, bringing together the Baghdad Governorate’s Women, Family & Children Department, the Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate, a UNODC representative, and civil-society partners.

The focus group was designed by our Project Manager, Ms. Mareike Egbers, and facilitated by Dr. Sarah A’amer, Executive Director of the Iraqi Telemedicine Center. Together with colleagues from Mercy Hands, they also lead a response team to provide direct, holistic assistance to victims of human trafficking in Baghdad.

Participants compared day-to-day realities, mapped what is working, and agreed on practical next steps to protect people at risk. They highlighted real gains: faster responses to case reports, clearer points of contact, specialized police units that better identify genuine cases, and shelters offering medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitation services. They also named gaps that still delay support—public hesitation to report due to stigma and confidentiality concerns, awareness that does not yet reach everyone (including people who cannot read or who are socially isolated), and referral steps that slow help when time matters most.

The outcomes were concrete: standardize inter-agency procedures, pair awareness with trust-building in schools and neighborhoods, keep services trauma-informed and survivor-centered, and share tools and data across institutions.

This brief is an excerpt; the full findings and agreed action points are available in the report below.