On November 27, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign hosted a Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) Stakeholder Summit in Washington, DC, to further its effort to combat human trafficking in the aviation industry. The BLI is an element of the Blue Campaign, led by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and DHS Component Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The Summit attracted stakeholders from across the United States including air carriers, port authorities, industry associations, and law enforcement agencies. The Summit included remarks from senior DHS and DOT officials, highlighting the federal government’s role in combatting human trafficking, and a panel of subject-matter experts who shared industry best practices and protocols. DHS recognizes the importance of engaging its industry partners in the fight to end modern day slavery. DHS would like to thank the 23 existing BLI partners, who have contributed to the success of the initiative.
BLI trains airline personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims, and to report their suspicions to federal law enforcement. To date, more than 100,000 aviation industry personnel have been trained through the BLI, and actionable tips continue to be reported to law enforcement.
Click here to learn more about BLI. For airlines and aviation industry organizations looking to learn more about partnering with BLI to train their employees on human trafficking and reporting options, email bluecampaign@hq.dhs.gov or trafficking@dot.gov for more information.
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