MAPPING THE TRAFFICKING TRENDS ACROSS AFRICA
The vulnerability factors in Africa as collated from delegates include: • A gap exists between skills and employment opportunities • Unemployment • Trafficking is a low risk crime as there is not the judicial systems to enforce justice • Poverty • Lack of information and ignorance • Illiteracy • Family Factors – family planning, unable to provide for number of children, beliefs on role of children in the family. • Border post rules are not followed • Perpetrators constantly change, making it difficult to make safe choices – they are from all age groups, both genders and can be family and friends • Cultural influences including child marriage and domestic help • Lack of long term recovery programs– meaning people remain at risk of being re-trafficked • A demand for body parts. In some countries it is not legalised to donate body parts on death for medical use. Therefore as the population lives longer there is a demand for body parts. This is fuelling trafficking of people from southern Africa into the Sinai Desert where there are mobile medical clinics to remove organs. Different types of movement across Africa: • Economic migrants • Asylum seekers • Stateless people • Unaccompanied minors • Stranded migrants • Migrants moving for environmental reasons • Victims of trafficking • Environmental migration
Routes of Migration • Migration from poor to rich countries • Africa to Europe and Middle East • Central Africa to South Africa • Southern and East Africa up to Egypt All types of migration leave people vulnerable – they may not have the language, they are hopeful and seeking change and are reliant on others Traffickers will often use smuggling routes – so we can’t ignore this form of migration. Traffickers take advantage of conflict and disaster situations. It is difficult to predict who will be a victim of trafficking. People can be highly educated, or of any social, economic and ethnic background, but still be trafficked. . The scale of movement today means we are able to move far quicker and we have access to transportation that we never had before as human beings. Mobilisation also increases inequalities. It is generally good for development because people bring talents and skills. There are so many vulnerabilities for these people and therefore we need to invest more into immigration to protect these people. Not all recruiters are aware that they are part of a trafficking chain – this is also an area for awareness raising. Need to promote the responsibility to check who and what they are recruiting for. Not just accepting money without asking questions 7
