The
Department of Trafficking in Persons under the US State Department has called
for a vigorous investigation, prosecution, and conviction of human traffickers
– including allegedly complicit government officials and child sex traffickers
– with sufficiently stringent sentences in The Gambia.
In
its 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, State Department also emphasised the
need to train law enforcement and prosecutors “to investigate and prosecute all
types of trafficking, and ensure they have the resources to do so”.
The
Gambia has for years been designated as a source and destination country for
trafficking in persons. However, under former regime, official corruption and
complicity could not be exposed due to cover up by officials higher up in
government.
For
example, a leaked document shows that the Honorary Gambian consulate in Lebanon
officially facilitated the trafficking of dozens of young women from Banjul to
Lebanon. On 10th October 2012, one Fatu
Cham’s visa application into Lebanon by Gambian Consulate showed a serial
number of 006 among tens of others.
Her
passport number was PC375902 and the application was signed and sealed by
Gambia’s consul to Lebanon at the time, Muhammed Bazzi.
However,
most of these girls ended up experiencing various forms of abuse and sexual
exploitation at the hands of their “employers” and some trafficking
agents. For example, in 2015, one Isatou
Jarjue was hit to death by multiple cars in Beirut at about 2am when she
attempted to cross a freeway on her way from work. It was not clear what type of work she does
at that hour of the morning.
Others
get beaten by their “mistresses” who pay for their travel to Middle Eastern
countries, after they were promised of good pay and good care during their work
contract. But once they arrive, they
lose their passports and become trapped with no means of return or seeking help
in those countries.
In
releasing the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, United States Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson said: “Human trafficking is one of the most tragic human
rights issues of our time. It splinters
families, distorts global markets, undermines the rule of law, and spurs other
transnational criminal activity.”
The
government of The Gambia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking in persons; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so, the TIP Report 2017 states.
The
government made key achievements during the reporting period; therefore, The
Gambia was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List.
United
States Ambassador to The Gambia, C. Patricia Alsup, offered her
congratulations, “Congratulations to the Government of The Gambia, especially
NAATIP and all the stakeholders who fight against human trafficking. I am very pleased that The Gambia’s rating on
trafficking in persons has improved over the past year. I hope that NAATIP and other partners will
continue fighting the evil of human trafficking until The Gambia is considered
a Tier 1 country.”
