Abject Poverty Propels Risk Human Trafficking Risk -IOM Executive Alarms

SOURCE: BY KEVIN S. TYDERSON

An executive of International Organization of Migration (IOM), Tamba Siafa says human traffickers in West Africa Region take advantage of the depreciative economic situation being experienced by many countries to exploit young people.

     Siafa said trafficking in person is on the increase in West Africa, stressing that as the economic situation in many countries is deteriorating, young girls and boys are on the move to seek greener pastures in Europe and other countries thus trapped in the web of trafficking.

   Siafa made the assertion when he spoke to participants at the four-day step down training for National Trafficking in Person Focal Point in Monrovia.

    He said the situation is appalling therefore the EU and other partners have contracted the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist implement programs in various West Africa Countries including Liberia to prevent or reduce the movement of people, especially young girls and boys.

   In this light, he said that IOM is working with partners in West Africa including National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia as part of its component in the fight against TIP. 

      Speaking further on his experience, he said: “I was fortunate to visit a trafficking camp in Niger and if you see the ages of victims that are moving, you will know that people took advantage of them knowingly and unknowingly thereby putting them in harmful conditions.”

   The IOM executive said his entity has been partnering with anti-human trafficking task force of Liberia as part of the component in fighting against trafficking in person.

    He encourages the Traffic in Person, TIP Secretarial in Liberia to do more in an effort of aborting the spread of the inhumane act of human trafficking.

     Siaffa said that the uninterrupted holding of Taskforce meetings in Liberia indicates the importance the Government of Liberia through the Taskforce attaches to the fight against TIP and hope that such action on the part of the government will continue as way of helping to make the fight a good want.

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