Gender Ministry and partners commission refurbished Human Trafficking Secretariat

The Gender Ministry and its partners including the European Union and the French Embassy have commissioned the refurbished Human Trafficking Secretariat.

“Apart from this support, a number of activities have been implemented so far under the project where over 300 law enforcement officers have seen their capacities built to identify and prosecute offences of human trafficking.

In 2021, it rescued 842 trafficking victims, 812 of which have since been reunited with their families.

“In all, 108 cases were reported and investigated; 42 cases being sex trafficking, 60 for labour trafficking, and 6 being other related cases that started as human trafficking offenses

She also called on victims of trafficking and domestic violence to contact the toll-free number 0800 111 222 for assistance.

The Director-General of Expertise France, Jérémie Pellet, said human trafficking was a global scourge that affects all hence the need to collectively tackle it.

We tend to focus in Europe on migration towards Europe, but we forget that 75% of the migratory movements in West Africa take place within the region… Everyone’s commitment to the fight against human trafficking, is a strategic priority for the entire subregion, which is going through a difficult period due to the global health situation, terrorist threats, organized crime, and irregular migration, often with dramatic consequences,” he said.