Mapping the trafficking trends across Africa

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