HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN AFRICA
Introduction
Despite the fact that slave trade was eliminated several centuries ago, the tales and memories of the agonies persist in the minds of many, most particularly the Negro, the race who bore the woes of the act. At the abolition of slave trade, the entire world thought it has seen the last of trading in Human beings. However, today this yet to be the case, for human trafficking has cropped up like a resurrected Vampire to continue to perpetrate the woes of the ancient slave trade. Although the problem is quite prominent in African Nations, it is not peculiar to Africa alone, for virtually all Nations across the globe are presently experiencing the problem. Researches have shown that between one and two million people are trafficked around the world yearly.www.westafricareview.com.
It has thus attracted the attention of the entire universe and has since generated diverse reactions across the globe both from individuals, organizations and Government alike.
Human trafficking persists to be obstinate problem nagging in Nigeria and West Africa at large. It has become a modern-day slavery precipitated by greed, poverty and poor legislation, with the victims predominantly children, girls and women. Adeze Ojukwu, Daily Champion (Lagos) NEWS. Sep 21, 2006.
The Problem Definition and the Phenomenon
Human trafficking can be likened to other contemporary global crimes such as terrorism. It has since been rated as the third greatest crime in the world (Keefer, 2006). Several definitions have been proffered of which the United Nations definition has been preferred over the rest. It has been defined as the act of employing, transporting, harboring or receipt of human persons using threat, implied or outright force or any other means of coercion. It also include the use of deception or fraud, the abuse of power or a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to attain the consent of a person or controlling a person for the sole purpose of exploitation. Exploitation in this context refers to prostitution or any other form of sexual exploitation, forced labour and services or applied slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. (Palermo Protocol, 2000). From the above definition, one could easily understand the basic elements that make an act tantamount to human trafficking. Irrespective of the misery experienced by victims, people continually fall victim to this act, but the reason behind this is that perpetrators use the acts of deception, force, fraud, coercion, abduction in the recruitment of unsuspecting human. They intentionally subject humans to harsh conditions for their selfish exploitation.
In many cases, the victims are usually quite willing subjects, often unaware of the fate awaiting them after receiving exaggerated promise of a greener pasture abroad. The victims are vulnerable young children, most especially girls from poor families, who are traded into prostitution and other domestic work.
The History of Human Trafficking
The precise date of the commencement of human trafficking in Africa cannot be determine by many. However, in the year 1999, the then first Lady of Nigeria in support of the first lady of Edo State launched concerted attack at human trafficking. Africa had witnessed several embarrassing moments at international level and in order to protect her integrity, there was the need to be overly responsible to her citizenry. These two women launched a Non governmental Organization (NGO) that pursued curbing the trafficking of humans across the borders. This development unraveled diverse atrocities and agonies victims experience in the course of human trafficking. Today, this first effort of these two women has metamorphosized into several enacted organizations becoming conscious of the terrible act of human trafficking.
Previous Works of Scholars on Human Trafficking
Several scholars have also researched on human trafficking with the sole purpose of helping to curb the crime. In the process, they have established the population of victims across the globe, the traumatic experience of victims and other awesome facts. Well over 900,000 people are trafficked across borders, out of which almost 70 are women and children. Their works have help sensitize the world on the effects of the heinous crime on victims. These works summarily conclude that women and children are the highest victims and elaborate how they are usually lured into the act. This research paper will thus compliment the previous works by using all the established data to analyze the problem and hence suggest a solution to the problem.
Its Current Trends in Africa.
In Africa, the trade is usually from Africa to Europe and other countries in the world. The victims, mostly women are subjected to prostitution or domestic labour. The major trick employed by the people behind this trafficking is promises of good standard of living and since the victims are usually from poor homes, they gullibly fall victim because of their poor status. With this deception, victims embark on the perceived journey to Europe in search of job, but they could eventually end up in other part of the world like South America, Middle East and others. It has been discovered that almost 70 of these victims are eventually forced into prostitution by either beating or starving them to tame them into doing the biddings of their masters. For several years, Nigeria has been used as a gateway to many countries in Europe, South America and Middle East, thus serving as a transit to human trafficking.
Steps Taken to combat Human Trafficking
Ever since the inception of first Non- Governmental Organization(NGO) in Nigeria, virtually all government has becoming overly alert about combating human trafficking, the United Nation has equally exerted its strength towards the eradication of the inhuman crime. To claim that the combat of human trafficking has become a global struggle is stating a blatant truth. Bodies like UNICEF,UNESCO, UN, ILO, NAPTIP, and several others have identified with the solution in solving the crime. The crime has focused on the female gender and children who are in most cases lured by promised riches and since these people are usually poor they eagerly fall pray. These international bodies apart from ensuring a strict migration law and prosecution of culprit, they have also embarked on poverty alleviation schemes to help reduce the crime. Massive sensitization of masses has also been done. All these have helped in reducing the rate of the spread of the crime.
Reasons Behind the Thrive of Human Trafficking in Africa
Despite all the above mention actions taken against the crime, its apparently seems to persist to grow in Africa. The reason is however not far fetched. The reasons are as follow
Poverty
The major factor that lures victims into the act is poverty. Many Africans live below 1 daily.www.unnews.com. Despite the fact that Africa has vast resources, these are not put to use by the leaders. The masses are usually living in abject poverty while the leaders display enormous riches. This development frustrates people and thus prompts them to seek greener pasture abroad. They hence fall victim of to the promise of job in Europe which turns out to be prostitution. Illiteracy, child hawking, uninformed masses, abuse of power, abuse of human right and lots more are the order of the day in Africa. All these ensure that more people fall victim of human trafficking by the day. Desperate and frustrated masses are inclined to believe that a better future awaits them in foreign land and hence delve into the chance of travelling abroad.
Inadequate Immigration Law and Porous Borders
The government does not enact strict laws that ensure that individuals to not indulge in acts like baby harvesting in illegal orphanages, there is a porous border guard and the responsible bodies are not committed to their duties.
Corruption and Un-judicious Use of Resources
Irrespective of the fact that Africa has vast natural resources, she has remained to be tormented by lack of good leadership. People in government in many African countries do not possess altruistic motive for governing. There is magnanimous corruption in the government. The masses are suffering while the leaders possess awesome wealth. This has generated a lost of faith in the country by citizens who seek foreign land as solace. They easily fall victim to promises of better standard of living abroad which leads to human trafficking. The world transparency body has referred Nigeria to be the second most corrupt country in the world. (www.cnn.com)
Lucrative Nature of the Crime
Yet again, the crime is quite lucrative. The rich barons in the Europe and other countries who make substantial amount of money from human trafficking find it hard to desist in the act due to the profit they make in it. They finance the act with the aim of making profit, a sort of investment which they realized over time to be on the high yield side.
Effects of Human Trafficking on Africa
Although it can not be denied that human trafficking generates tangible amount of income for those involved in it. However, these monies are usually laundered or channeled toward other unlawful act. Thus the end result is that it causes other crimes, such as rape, money laundering etc.
Again, human trafficking reduces the human resources of the continent. Irrespective of the fact that a higher percentage of those transported are either illiterates or semi-illiterates, these people possess innate qualities that could be very useful to the nation. Some of the trafficked humans include talented youths that could be quite useful to the nation. The act encourages and promotes illiteracy as many of the youth used for domestic labour are not allowed to go to school. Again, many of the women trafficked are below the age of fourteen and they are not allowed to proceed with their education in foreign countries since they are immediately put into prostitution. Finally, almost 65 of trafficked women that are brought back to their home countries are tested positive for HIV. Thus, the act increases the number of Aids victims in Africa.
Means of Eliminating Human Trafficking
As difficult this problem apparently seems, the solution to solving it are quite simple. The first combat is good governance and good leadership in the continent. If the leaders of countries in Africa are more conscientious, more accountable and judiciously spend their countries income, poverty will be greatly reduced and less people will desire to run away to foreign land. This will greatly reduce the number of victims. Since Africa has enormous natural resources, these resources should be utilized for massive poverty alleviation, which must include those in the rural areas, with improved standard of living, citizens will be contended with their settlement and hence reduce the lure for human trafficking. Finally Laws should be enacted to tighten the porous border, this will also reduce the number of trafficked human.
Conclusion
Poverty remains the major reason behind human trafficking. However, it can not be denied that greed, restlessness, ignorance and others are also responsible to the persistence of the problem. Combating this problem does not require much since the solutions are not far fetched. What remains the question is that are the leaders in Africa ready to shunned corruption and become more responsible to the citizen in order to put a stop to poverty, which remains the major cause of human trafficking. Today, human trafficking persists in Africa due to the inaction of the African leaders.
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