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http://appablog.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/south-africa-trafficking-in-persons-not-just-a-cross-border-problem/

South Africa / Trafficking in Persons - Not Just a Cross-Border Problem

 PRETORIA, South Africa, October 31, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM Press Briefing Notes

IOM and USAID this week released a new six-month study, entitled “No Experience Necessary: The Internal Trafficking of Persons in South Africa.” This qualitative study is the first survey research on the trafficking in children, women and men for labour and sexual exploitation within South Africa.  

The study focused primarily on public sector and civil society outreach workers, law enforcement and social workers, to determine their levels of awareness and first-hand information on trafficking, its nature, causes, routes and victims in South Africa.  It concluded that victims of internal trafficking are most often from rural areas where unemployment and poverty increase vulnerability.  Provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo were most frequently noted as areas of recruitment.  Child-headed households resulting from HIV/AIDS are highly susceptible to trafficking. Other key findings are that women are as likely to be recruiters as men; and that children are recruited for different types of forced labour, including street vending, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation through false promises of accommodation and income.

USAID’s Mission Director, Dr. Carleene Dei, reports: “We know human trafficking occurs in South Africa, but the problem we face here is inadequate information about who, what, when, where, how and why.  The objective of USAID’s partnership with the IOM is to explore the dilemma and build the capacity of South Africans to respond effectively to human trafficking offenses and to assist victims.”

According to researcher, Laura Bermudez, “many people don’t immediately understand the issue of internal trafficking because they have always understood trafficking to be of a cross-border nature.  Once they relay their first hand experiences, however, the cases they speak of are clearly situations of trafficking in persons.” Bermudez found that internal trafficking covers the spectrum of purposes, including sexual exploitation and forced labour, the latter being an issue that little was known about prior to this study.

Bermudez highlights the crucial need to move beyond the concept that trafficking is only a cross-border issue.  Instead, the vulnerabilities facing the country and its people from within must be considered and used to develop an integrated, proactive approach to the problem.  Bermudez recommends incorporating development to create a concerted response by all stakeholders.  

With USAID funding of $650,000 (about R6.5 million), IOM has trained more than 600 civil society and community representatives to identify and provide services to trafficking in persons victims.  IOM runs a Human Trafficking toll-free helpline: 0800 555 99.    

SOURCE : International Office of Migration (IOM)

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