The training was designed to equip participants with the requisite knowledge and skills to be able to indentify indicators of recruitment or pin point agents. It was also meant to expose participants to the role and mandates of the agency, various elements of trafficking-in persons to be able to understand what would be required of a typical trafficking-in persons case compared to what would be commonly referred to as smuggling of migrants.
Welcoming the participants, Isatou Dabo, executive director of the National Agency Against Trafficking-In Persons (NAATIP), took participants through the role and mandate of of her agency, further reminding that NAATIP is mandated under the 2007 Trafficking-In Persons Act to deal with all issues of Trafficking-in Persons in the country ranging from investigation into trafficking cases and forwarding all investigation reports to the Ministry of Justice for opinion writing and prosecution of alleged offenders.
“In respect of the issue of the prevention, we believe that labour inspectors played a very crucial in this element.”
Dabo expressed concern that over the years, the issue of trafficking-in persons is on the increase, further stating that on a daily basis, recruiters all around the globe are becoming very creative in their ways of recruiting persons either for sexual exploitation orf or labour purposes.
She thus thanked the Minstry of Justice for their continued support to the Agency and department of Labour for making available inspectors at the training.
Ousman Sanneh, principal officer at the Department of Labour, expressed appreciation to their members to be part of the training,further acknowledging that that was what they had been advocating for.
He outlined the need for more training for their members in view of the fact that they are always in the field and some instances interacting with the public.
"So when they come into contact with peoplewho are believed to be traffickers, they will not prosecute but instead inform relevant authorities for action. So for us this training is very important and coming at the time when the country has a new labour law."
For her part, Aji Adam-Ceesay,representing Solicitor General at the Ministry of Justice, described the training as timely and important considering the fact that labourinspectors are tasked with the mandate to supervise and monitor the enforcement of labour legislations and policies at work places.
She thus underscored the importance of the training, adding that they also play a key role in the identification of victims of trafficking.
She thanked NAATIP for their unwavering commitment to the combat all forms of trafficking-in-person in the country.
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