By: Nyima Sillah
National Agency Against Trafficking in Person’s boss has called on the Tourism Security Unit to help keep vigilant eyes on child sex offenders and child traffickers for severe punishment.
Toulie Jawara Ceesay made the call during a training programme organised for the Tourism Security Unit’s (TSU) officers and sponsored by the International Organization for Migration.
She said her agency will not tolerate such dubious activities against human beings especially children.
The programme aimed at understanding of trafficking in person, identification and referral mechanisms for protection and assistance of Victims of trafficking and it was held at Sir Dawda Kairaba Conference Centre, Bijilo.
“Child sex tourism is an offense we have zero tolerance and we believe it happens here in The Gambia. The Gambia tourism board is responsible. Also, there is a tourism offensive act 2003 which I believe is now revised and basically, it looks at sex tourism or child sex tourism in particular,” she said.
She urged the trainees to be vigilant and look for cases on child sex tourism as a form of human trafficking and that they should report to NAATIP, adding that offenders of child trafficking should be punished.
“We all know prostitution in The Gambia is silent in our laws so we cannot say it is legal or illegal but child sex tourism is illegal and it is a form of human trafficking we also have worse forms of child labor, sexual slavery, domestic substitute international labor, migration exploitation and trafficking in sports so basically these are all forms of human trafficking,” she added.
Stephen O. Matete, Program Coordinator Migration Management said “trafficking in person is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women, and children fall into the hands of traffickers in their own countries and across the borders. Almost every country in the world, the Gambia included is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination.”
“The US-founded training project aims to support the government of the Gambia in its effort to combat trafficking in person by strengthening national capacities to successfully prevent and protect victims of trafficking and those at risk of trafficking as well as to prosecute traffickers,” he stated.
According to him, the law enforcement within the tourism sector plays an integral role in combating trafficking in person. He expressed hope that the training will enhance the capacity of the trainees and widen their scope in the daily duties to effectively combat trafficking in person and investigate the capacity of such cases whenever it happens.