In a move that promises to curb the mafias that traffic people, the government made official this Monday a new Protocol for the Early Detection of Human Trafficking Situations in the Airport Environment. Resolution 468/2026, published early in the Official Gazette, repeals the protocol that had been in effect since 2018 and aims to modernize the tools of the Airport Security Police (PSA) against a crime that, authorities admit, has become increasingly complex and organized.
The regulation establishes that the PSA must designate officers as trafficking crime referents in each of its units. But beware: the annexes detailing operational procedures and the identification of those agents will be considered classified material. The reason? To prevent leaks that could compromise ongoing investigations or put victims at risk. A move that promises to keep the force’s strategies secret so as not to give advantages to the gangs.
Compliance with the protocol will be mandatory for all PSA personnel. And the National Directorate for Investigations of Trafficking Crimes and Crimes Against Sexual Integrity will be responsible for monitoring its application, promoting periodic updates, and coordinating training. A clear sign that the State wants to keep an eye on every movement at the country’s airports.
But it’s not all tough measures: victim protection is one of the central axes. Interventions must be guided by principles such as urgency, speed, confidentiality, and respect for human rights. Additionally, the aim is to avoid re-victimization and guarantee the safety of affected individuals throughout the procedure. In cases involving children and adolescents, the protocol requires that all actions be carried out in accordance with the best interests of the child, as mandated by Argentine legislation and international treaties.
The resolution recalls that human trafficking includes the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation, whether within the country or abroad. The modalities contemplated are chilling: sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, forced marriage, production of child sexual abuse material, and even illegal organ removal. A catalog of horrors that the new protocol seeks to combat from airport terminals, considered strategic points for detecting these crimes.
From the government, they noted that the update responds to the growth and sophistication of trafficking networks, which take advantage of situations of vulnerability such as poverty, migration, or social isolation. Airports, with their constant flow of people, are the entry and exit points for many of these victims. Therefore, the new tool aims to strengthen the State’s response to a problem that knows no borders.
The measure has already generated expectations and doubts. Will it be enough to dismantle the mafias operating in the shadows? The truth is that the protocol comes with a seal of secrecy that, according to authorities, is necessary to avoid alerting criminals. But it also leaves hanging the question of how citizen oversight of these procedures will be guaranteed. For now, the PSA has orders to apply the protocol mandatorily and urgently. Time will tell if this government move manages to stop the bleeding of trafficking at Argentine airports.
para mi esto es otro verso de estos gorilas q se hacen los piolas con la ‘lucha contra la trata’ pero en realidad lo unico q quieren es controlar a los q viajan y espiar a las orgas de ddhh basta de hipocresia la psa es brazo represor no soluciona nada #NiUnPasoAtras
Para mí este protocolo está perfecto, más control y menos chorros de ONG kircha metiendo gente. Si no les gusta el secreto, que se vayan a laburar. Viva la libertad carajo, basta de choriplaneros.