adminHerald Correspondent
A call centre has been opened in Harare by Government and the United Nations (UN) to protect migrant women and children from exploitation.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the department of immigration set up the centre with toll free hotlines for inquiries, information and referral.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe said the initiative will improve access to migration services in the country and it resonates with Government’s thrust of enhancing service delivery as espoused in the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1.
“The surge in cases of gender based violence, as well as those of smuggling and trafficking of women for purposes of exploitation brings to the fore the importance of having readily accessible migration services,” he said.
“The call centre serves to complement the national referral mechanism for vulnerable migrants in Zimbabwe.
“The mechanism was formulated in 2018 with its major objective being to assist frontline officials provide services that ensure that migrants’ protection needs are recognised and addressed all the time.
“This call centre also represents innovation on the part of Government as it will go a long way in fostering transparency and effectiveness, as well as combating corruption in the provision of public services.
“It also speaks to the ongoing ease-of-doing business reforms. By enhancing access to migration services and if fully used, the call centre is set to benefit not only the vulnerable migrant groups, but also other stakeholders that include the investment community, the tourism sector, and law enforcement agencies.”
Chief director of the Immigration Department Ms Respect Gono said the call centre will enable the department to engage with clients regionally and internationally.
“It will enhance our capability to share information with relevant stakeholders such as the police, Interpol, Civil Registry and the Department of Social Welfare. Thus, it is a tool which embraces the whole of Government approach to Government business,” she said.
UNDP representative Ms Mia Seppo said the call centre provided an additional prevention and protection system for migrant women and girls.
“The launch of this call centre and the associated standard operational procedures are a crucial component in the gender based violence prevention and protection system.
“It contributes to the global compact for migration objectives in addressing vulnerabilities and provisions access to basic services for migrants including in gender,” she said.
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