(Friday 18 October 2019 Issue)
Director General of the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP) has called for more collaboration from travelling agencies and the media to end modern slavery, commonly called human trafficking, in The Gambia.
Tulai
Jawara-Ceesay was speaking on Tuesday, during the Agency’s day training
sensitization of travelling agencies and journalists in the country on the
dangers and consequences involved in human trafficking held at the Ministry of
Justice in Banjul.
“It
is because of this, we feel the need to closely work together so that we can
eradicate the menace of modern day slave trade. It is a global concern, so we
are all part of a global effort to fight and eradicate trafficking in persons
within the country and outside,” she said.
She
said: “The most common forms of trafficking in persons in The Gambia is the
International Labour Migration where most Gambians travel to Middle East
countries to work as house girls.”
Her
Agency’s mandate, she explained, is specifically to combat cases of trafficking
in persons. “The Gambia is termed as a source, a transit point and a
destination country for cases found for trafficking in persons. It is in this
regard that we called on all travel agencies to work together and stamp out the
menace of modern-day slave trade,” she said, adding that trafficking in persons
is a trans-national crime and a global concern.
According
to her, The Gambia as a country has signed and ratified the Palermo Protocol
that serves to prevent, suppress and punish those involved in trafficking in
persons especially women and children. She said the Protocol supplements the
United Nations Convention Against Trans-national Organized Crime.
She
appealed for people and institutions to come together and make the roads safe
at all time, reminding that the lives one saves may be their own.
