By Adama Nyang
The National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons ( NATTIP) recently embarked on a community sensitization in Kartong on human trafficking. The sensitization exercise focussing on human trafficking was in two phases, one at the Kartong Market for students and the community, and phase two held at the Kartong border.
Tijan Faal, Deputy Head of Investigations of NAATIP highlighted the causes, effects, and challenges of human trafficking and how to prevent oneself from trafficking.
Most of the traffickers, he explained, are people that “live together in communities they will come with promises of having a well-paid job abroad. Sometimes they will come to your parents promising them to help their child get a job abroad and that they will be responsible for all the documents, tickets, and other traveling requirements.”
He advised that when someone approaches you with such promises there is a need to think twice to know if something is right or wrong somewhere, especially when someone unknown to you or not related with in any way offers you such.
Mr. Faal also talked about the challenges that victims of trafficking face when they reach some of these countries they are trafficked to, saying some of them are forced into prostitution, some on hard labour working for about 15 to 20 hours a day and sometimes may end up not paying. He further stated that some of the traffickers will sell their victims’ organs, while they send them back home after a few months.
Mr. Faal therefore urged Gambians to do away with the attitude of ‘let me mind my business,’ saying human trafficking is everyone’s responsibility to fight against it.
Saihou Cham, an Investigator at NATTIP discussed the importance of community involvement in the fight against human trafficking, saying human trafficking is a modern-day slavery in that victims always lose all their rights and dignity.
He noted that human trafficking is a crime in The Gambia and anyone found in the act or an accomplice will surely face the law and may end up spending many years in prison or fined some amount of money.
While encouraging the Kartong community to be more vigilant as it is a border community, he urged everyone to be involved in the fight against human trafficking, noting that 1123 is a free toll to call and report any suspected trafficking cases.
Abubacarr Kandeh, Counselor of Kartong ward thanked NATTIP for bringing such an important sensitization exercise to their community and quickly disclosed that most of the victims of human trafficking are always young girls or women.
National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons ( NATTIP) is a government agency responsible for combating human trafficking in the Gambia. It was established in 2007 by an Act of Parliament under the Trafficking in Persons Act which provides for offences, and penalties, and also provides guidelines and procedures to guide the identification and prosecution of perpetrators of human Trafficking