By Nicholas Bass
The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking-In-Person (NAATIP) on Monday sensitized Kotu Upper and Senior Secondary School’s students.
Speaking at the sensitization program held at Kotu Upper and Senior Secondary School Hall, the head of the investigation Unit of NAATIP, Joseph Y. Mendy disclosed that human trafficking and smuggling of persons is mostly common in Africa for different purposes such as prostitution and business in human organs.
Mr. Mendy pointed out that human trafficking can be identified through the act, means, and progress, noting that when a person is being transported and received into a detention center it qualifies as human trafficking.
Mr Mendy further stated that when a person is being smuggled into place for sexual exploitation, labor and the removal of organs also implies that the person is a victim of human trafficking, but urged the students to examine the purpose and means of human trafficking carefully before giving a conclusion.
He challenged the students to avoid lucrative offers from human traffickers that are centered on their gains through business in human organs, prostitution, and labor. ”Smuggling-in-person and human trafficking are interlinked but the two are different”.
Therefore, “when an immigrant wants to migrate into another country, he or she involves a person who will smuggle him or her into the country but if it continues for human traffickers’ gains it qualifies the act as human trafficking”.
Mr. Tijan Faal from the Investigation Unit of NAATIP challenged the students to report any case of human trafficking, noting that human trafficking is exploitation against humans which now turned into commodities for sexual exploitation and slavery in various African countries.
Mr. Faal outlined that victims of human trafficking are psychologically unstable with low self-esteem, adding that it requires collaborative efforts of every individual to remedy the trauma of the victims of human trafficking and bring an end to this inhuman treatment against persons.
”Most of our African ladies are deceived with the ideology that Gambian ladies are lazy, compelling young ladies to go in for prostitution where they are answerable to human traffickers and in most cases, some of the ladies national identity cards are being seized, denying them freedom of movement,” he explained.
He called for everyone to put their hands on deck to stop these inhuman, degrading practices against human beings.