‘Let’s build policies with survivors, not just about them’. This was the urgent call of a member of Hope for Justice’s Survivor Leadership Council as he spoke at the UN Constructive Dialogue on Migrant Smuggling.
Whilst human trafficking and migrant smuggling are distinctly different, migrants subject to smuggling are frequently at heightened risk of further victimization including human trafficking. Hope for Justice called for survivor inclusion in all aspects of system responses to this issue.
Ronny Marty, a member of our Survivor Leadership Council on Human Trafficking, drafted and delivered the powerful intervention at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), held in Vienna on 13th October 2025.
He highlighted how survivors – many of whom are migrants – are routinely excluded from shaping the very systems meant to protect them. He stressed that survivors bring not only lived experience, but also expertise that can make policies more targeted, trauma-informed and effective.
“Good intentions look great on paper, but without action, they change nothing”, he said.
“Too often, survivors of human trafficking, many of whom are migrants, are excluded from the development of legislation, policy, and practice. And yet, they are the ones who understand the realities behind the systems we are trying to improve.”
Ronny Marty, Survivor Leader
Constructive dialogues are an opportunity for organizations to make recommendations on how civil society can support countries in developing their responses.
Hope for Justice’s intervention outlined several actionable recommendations for states including:
- Cross-border and cross-system collaboration: Governments must work together not only across national borders but also across immigration, labor, justice, and protection systems. A siloed approach in one area can inadvertently create vulnerabilities in another.
- All stakeholders, including governments, must partner with survivor-led groups, and not just as a tick box, but meaningfully, ethically and with accountability.
Finally, Ronny stated: “We must all move beyond words to real action. Because when we do nothing or not enough, we become part of the problem. And when we criminalize migrants, remove or delay protections, or ignore survivor voices, we reinforce the very systems traffickers and smugglers exploit. So, I urge this room, […] let’s build policies with survivors, not just about them.”
Ronny concluded with this reminder to move beyond words to real action: “Smugglers and traffickers exploit the same vulnerabilities, but our response must not exploit survivors’ silence. They are not just voices to be heard. They are partners to be respected. […] Only through genuine collaboration across borders, institutions and experiences can we build legal systems that prevent, protect, punish smugglers and traffickers, and empower survivors and communities.”
