This development comes as the Government intensifies
efforts to regulate recruitment agencies and raise public awareness about the
dangers of human trafficking.
They were lured to the West African nation with false
promises of lucrative job opportunities by a human trafficking syndicate that
involved a foreign entity and a local company.
Two survivors of a human trafficking syndicate returned to
Zimbabwe last week and were placed in protective custody by Government
officials.
During their debriefing, they revealed that several other
victims were still stranded in Sierra Leone.
Writing in his weekly column in our sister paper The Sunday
Mail yesterday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo
said the Government was now working to facilitate the repatriation of the
victims.
“Right now, we have a situation in Sierra Leone, where our
people were recruited there and they are being abused,” Minister Moyo said.
“While some have returned home, we still have others who are still out there.
We also had a similar case in Kuwait, and we are working with the IOM to
repatriate our citizens.”
He also revealed that Zimbabwe will soon sign an agreement
with Middle East countries to curb human trafficking cases.
“Countries like Ethiopia and Kenya now have agreements with
Middle East countries to deal with these cases and we are looking at those
agreements to see whether we can extend them to Southern Africa and to Zimbabwe
in particular.”
Zimbabwe has not been immune to cases of human trafficking
involving people seeking employment in foreign countries outside the guidelines
of proper migration.
While migration is beneficial, Minister Moyo said it also
presented human trafficking challenges. However, the Government was implementing a raft of
measures to curb the scourge.
“The Government has prioritised educating citizens on the
risks of irregular migration and the importance of using reputable recruitment
agencies. Efforts are underway to regulate recruitment agencies and raise
public awareness to prevent exploitation. Collaborations with international
organisations like the IOM have facilitated the repatriation of trafficking
victims and enhanced measures to combat such incidents.”
In addition to the two survivors who met with Government
officials, seven more Zimbabweans reportedly returned home last month. It is
alleged that up to 40 people may have fallen victim to human trafficking in
Sierra Leone. Herald
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