“WHEREAS, trafficking in persons, the smuggling of persons and illegal oversea employment crimes are causing serious harm to physical, life and safety of citizens and exposing to grave violations of human rights;

WHEREAS, a Proclamation promulgated for the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants No. 909/2015 lacks clarity, inconsistent with other laws and does not provide adequate responses to the problem; thereby necessitated for replacement with a new and comprehensive legal framework;

WHEREAS, in accordance with Article 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia prohibits trafficking in human in any manner; as well as Ethiopia, have ratified the protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons especially Women and Children and the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air issued by the United Nations; necessitated enactment of detailed law for the implementation;

RECOGNIZING, the duty of the government to respect and protect rights and benefits persons conferred by nature and law; necessitated enacting legal framework and creating a system that enable crime prevention, holding perpetrator accountable, protecting and rehabilitating victims specially to undertake activities that reaches section of the society vulnerable to the crimes and in taking into consideration the age, sex and special needs of the victims and facilitating international cooperation;

NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with Article 55 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it is hereby proclaimed as follows:”