Freetown has Become the Target for Human Traffickers

Since Sierra Leone passed a new law in 2022 introducing a minimum sentence of 25 years for anyone convicted of human trafficking, dozens of agents have been arrested. However, just three have been convicted – and one of them was acquitted shortly afterwards. Traffickers often bribe their way out of jail or call on political contacts to pull strings. In the absence of a robust justice system, “the best prevention is education so that people ask the right questions when they are offered a job”, says Saraswathi of Migrant Rights. Human trafficking is classed as using force, coercion, or fraud to send someone to a new destination, to profit from them. While official data is scant, experts say the problem is rife in Sierra Leone. With youth unemployment at nearly 60 percent and the majority of the population surviving on less than $3 a day, there are thousands of people for traffickers to prey on, who long for better opportunities overseas. They often target women, touting well-paid jobs in the Middle East.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA