Kenya and Tanzania in human trafficking web

Kenya and Tanzania in human trafficking web
By Lusekelo Philemon
25th May 2011


Tanzania and Kenya have been cited as the most notorious transit routes for 'Human trafficking' racket involving the Horn and South Africa.

Project Manager for Regional Political Integration and Human Security Support Programme for the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region, Caroline Njuki said here yesterday that the Horn of Africa region is the main area of origin for mostly Somali and Ethiopian immigrants who use East Africa as their transit route on their way to South Africa.

Njuki presented a paper on 'Awareness raising as a tool for prevention and protection against trafficking and smuggling of human beings' from the IGAD-RMPF perspective at the ongoing meeting here to discuss operationalisation of the Ouagadougou Action Plan to combat trafficking in human beings, especially women and children.

"Women and children become more vulnerable especially in cases of internal and international displacement resulting from civil strife and natural disasters," she said, adding that they fall prey to trafficking in the hope of a safer and better existence elsewhere.

"Many find themselves in even worse situations than back at home and either due to fear, shame or the fact that they left home illegally, cannot go back, thus continue to suffer in silence," Njuki said.

According to Njuki, others are taken abroad, especially in the United Arabian Emirates where they are promised good jobs and high salaries but upon arriving, their employers confiscate their passports and force them to work as slaves earning almost nothing, and not able to return home due to lack of the travel documents.

"Our borders are too porous and human traffickers take advantage of the fragile immigration systems in our countries," said Mosses Malisa, an Officer from the Immigration Department in Dar es Salaam who pointed out that the East African borders are full of unofficial entry points known as 'Panya routes!'

"And many of the victims of this deadly trade are ignorant of both their countries' and international laws," said Zakhia Kisiri a legal officer with the Immigration Department.

Deputy EAC Secretary General, Jean-Claude Nsengiyumva officially opened the two-day meeting whose agenda include an update by Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and East African Community (EAC) on the current anti-trafficking awareness raising activities undertaken in the regions, international technical cooperation, best practices and support available through partners, and working sessions during which practical framework design and work-planning for regional anti-trafficking awareness raising frameworks will be undertaken.

In addition to the need for law enforcement, criminal investigation or prosecution in anti-trafficking, efforts should also be made to raise public awareness of the problem of human trafficking through public information campaigns and other means.

The essential purpose of raising public awareness of trafficking in persons is to mobilise crucial public concern and knowledge about the risk of falling prey to criminals as well as informing on the extreme social and human costs of trafficking in persons.

Because of the transnational dynamics and convolution of trafficking in persons, a holistic and regional approach, which will rest on clear and consistent communication about trafficking and its risks to the population as well as the status of response activities, is called for.

This will only be achieved through strengthening the capacity of information, education and communication at all levels and among all stakeholders in the member States.

Due to the nature of human trafficking, it is difficult to obtain reliable statistics of the number of victims of human trafficking. Estimates have been made at 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year. The numbers trafficked within their own countries has not been easy to be estimated.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world with a global annual market of around USD42.5 billion. It is estimated that 70per cent of people trafficked across borders are female and 50 per cent of them are children.

In January 2007, the African Union adopted the Executive Council Decision which endorsed the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, especially women and children.

The second Action Plan 2011-2013 of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy particularly Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment (MME), calls for more actions to combat trafficking in persons.

In addition, the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2007-2012), adopted by the AU Assembly in January 2008, provides for coordination of activities to fight human trafficking, to protect victims and prosecute offenders.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN