From 2 to 6 December, EL PAcCTO, through a European expert, has provided training to strengthen the knowledge of prosecutors, plain-clothed and uniformed police in Chile with the main dual objective of, on the one hand, establishing police and coordination procedures with judicial authorities to combat trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants; and, on the other, reinforcing investigation techniques and strategies on the subject.
New migration trends in South America, a consequence of the socio-economic and political changes on the continent, have recently led to substantial growth in intra-regional migration. The mobility of people in the region has been facilitated through the Mercosur residence agreement and associated countries, in which the right to emigrate is recognised and where the protection of migrants’ human rights is incorporated.
With a significant increase in irregular migration in Chile, and with the will to promote safe migration, which respects fundamental rights and equal rights and obligations, the Public Security service and Ministry of the Interior requested support from the European Union’s EL PAcCTO Programme to strengthen the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the operational capabilities of the services of the Investigative Police (PDI) Investigative Police (PDI) and Carabineros in the dismantling of criminal groups linked to the smuggling of migrants.
The training was received by the units specialising in border control and combating organised crime in the Investigative Police (PDI) and in the Carabineros in Chile, the border crossing unit in Chile and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. As a result, it is expected that border agents, police officers and tax officials and civil servants in the Public Ministry who specialise in this subject will be integrated into these bodies.
EL PAcCTO is a programme funded by the European Union and implemented by FIIAPP and Expertise France, with the support of IILA and Camões. Covering the penal chain as a whole, its main objective is the fight against transnational organised crime and the strengthening of the institutions responsible for guaranteeing citizen security in 18 Latin American countries. It has been working on a set of actions on the subject that were initiated at the end of 2018 and that have continued during 2019, combining strategic aspects with more operational ones.